RWBY: Path of Light
by dethhollow
Summary: Adam has betrayed the White Fang, the order is in chaos, Doctor Watts finally makes his move as team RWBY faces a choice more difficult than any they've made before... do they leave Menagerie to find the next Maiden or do they try to confront a sinister trap for the sake of something more personal? New questions, heroes, and villains await in this re-interpretation of the series.
1. Introductions (1)

Part 1

-Introductions-

Before anyone could get organized, fires had already broken out across the encampment. Screams rang out as panic had already set in. And, with panic, came the Grimm. Their makeshift huts had already caught flame as smoke filled the air. "Sienna is dead! Sienna is dead!" One activist cried out, carrying the White Fang flag as the desperately tried to restore a sense of unity. "The coup will now end us! Long live the Faunus!" Before the man could continue another member, a woman with rabbit ears quickly punched him out, sending both of them falling to the ground as she swiftly reached for her weapon. "Shut it, we're done! Without Kahn-" in a flash, she was suddenly cut of as a large bird-shaped shadow passed over her, causing her to quickly dash away in fear.

Blasts of fire exploded around the camp, tearing apart wooden structures with their intense force, sending shrapnel flying in the sky as vicious howls and snarls pierced the air, dark-bodied quadriplegic figures darting by from the tree line as the light from their glowing red eyes trailed behind them. "Underdogs incoming!" a female voice cried out as a small group of injured fighters eventually managed to gather together in a circle, their guns at the ready as multiple members shook in terror only for one of the person-sized canine Grimm to almost immediately launch a ball of fire at the group that broke their formation, sending masked Faunus flying away from the blast in multiple directions.

Trembling in terror in the chaos, a young girl, no older than 16, could be seen curled in a ball behind one of the tents, the stripes on the dark skin of her cheeks covered by her arms as she stressfully grasped at her short black hair and cat-like ears. Each explosive sound and scream making her flinch on response until, finally, tears began to stream down her face, staining her standardized White Fang uniform. Why was this happening? Why was this happening now? To her? To everyone?! All meaning escaped her as she was forced to simply accept the news that had set this event into motion, her mouth forcing itself into a snarling scowl of gritted fangs as her fear shaped itself into something more desperate. Those things… the Grimm… if only they didn't exist! If only… if only they were just gone! If only they would all just disappear!

Before she could finish gathering her thoughts, the girl glanced up as terror re-filled her yellow eyes. Right in front of her, one of the Underdogs approached, casually turning the corner as its nose sniffed the air before the beast's red eyes locked onto her. Without hesitation, the creature let loose a low growl before opening its mouth and launching a blast of flames straight at the girl! Instinctively, the Faunus raised her arms to protect herself, but, right as the heat of the flames began to burn her limbs, something strange happened…. Without warning, her arms were forced back down? It was as if she lost all control of her body as she witnessed the orb of fire move away from her before moving completely back inside the Underdog, the Grimm giving an inversed sound before moving back away out of sight. Confused, the girl stared on for a fleeting second before realizing the effect had ended, but before she could find any answers the Grimm once again walked into view, sniffing the ground before turning its head to growl at her once more! Only, this time, the Underdog's attack was interrupted as a mustached man wearing an overcoat leaped forward and smashed a bronze cane into the monster, sending it reeling back before the Grimm turned away and dashed off in surprise.

"Quite the bother, these things are." The mustached man quickly stated with a gasping breath. "I've never been much of a fighter, but ranged types are always a bother no matter the case." Without hesitation, the man turned to the girl. "You must be Sanghris, correct? Charmed. I go by Watts, Arthur Watts, to be precise. I'm here to save you. Any questions?"

For a moment, no words could escape her before Sanghris finally found the strength to speak. "That was… that was you, wasn't it? You- you reversed time! But- How?!"

"That would be my Semblance, dear, I call it 'Second Encore'," Watts began to explain. "It's fairly simple for limited temporal manipulation, think of it like adjusting a pocket watch. Everything in the area moves back as long as I turn the gear, but I can only turn so far back. Then, once I let go, things move from where they once were…. At least, they start to move from where they once were. What happens from there is simply a matter of choice and physics." Before he could get further carried away, he put his cane away in the left pocket of his coat before looking back over at the clearly confused Faunus.

"B-but… I've heard of Semblances, but that's…. That seems insane!" She simply uttered, almost uncertainly. "Wait, but… hang on… if they're sent back and you're sent back with them, then how does… or… are you sent back? Or… I don't…. Is the whole world just… but I remember it happening, so…?"

A slight chuckle escaped Watts at the perplexed ramblings. "That's a good place to be, remember that feeling. Well… maybe not specifically THAT one, but something close to it. Have you realized something, Sanghris?" The man crouched over slightly, putting his arm over his right knee to emphasize his point. "The Grimm are drawn to negative emotions. Fear, panic, hatred, despair… if you can learn to avoid them then this journey's going to become much, much, easier. Understood?"

Slowly, the girl nodded her head before she slowly stood up. "My friends call me Sandy, but- Wait a minute!" She shouted, shooting completely to her feet. "You're a huntsman! You've got to save the people here, then!" Sanghris's hands balled into fists as desperation began to once-again set in. "You need to save Azura!"

"I've no time for such things." Watts quickly replied at the demand. "I've come here for one thing and one thing only, Sanghris, and that's to save you." Before she could answer him, the huntsman had already extended his hand to her. "Now come on. I know you don't have an aura, do you? Even with my Second Encore, there's only so much I can do if we get surrounded…. Unless you want to die, of course."

As she began to speak, the Faunus cut herself off. Then she began again only to once more stop as she could only glare at the man. She wanted to deny his offer. She wanted to convince him to save the others or to find Azura. She wanted to shout and make a scene until he was forced to give in. But… he was right…. Getting angry or trying to test him would only draw more Grimm and without an aura she would just end up nearly being blasted apart again. And yet, still, despite the risk, she had to do something! "No!" The woman shouted in defiance. "Not until the people here are safe!"

The mustached man leered at the girl with a steel-like resolve before his clear hatred began to melt away into a detached, hardened, calm. "You're lucky I'm a charitable person, 'Sandy' was it?" He coldly began, making the young Faunus wince slightly at how forcibly he enunciated her nickname. "Very well…." The doctor continued, drawing his cane again and straightening his posture. "I'll take them out at my own pace. Any survivors will have to deal with the first aid for the wounded and I refuse to stick around and risk being followed. We leave as soon as I think the threat is gone and we don't try to find out whose fine or why and we leave no clues for Adam to find our location with. Those are my terms… do we have a deal?"

After blinking a few times in confusion, the White Fang member awkwardly stuttered "A- and also you leave a note saying I'm alive!" It was a miracle he was even bothering to hear herself out at all, she was certain he was going to just leave her behind! But if he was willing to change his mind and go this far, then there must be a reason. "It doesn't have to say where I'm going, I just don't want Azura to worry… you know…?"

"Fine!" Watts scowled, clearly not enjoying the prospect. It was annoying, but this was the only way for his long-term plans to work. "Now hurry up, it's only a matter of time until the assassins arrive. I'll explain things once you're at the lab."

A few hours later, any survivors exploring the wreckage of the campsite would find a most curious note at the scene:

"Dear White Fang,

The tiger girl is fine, I've taken her somewhere safe.

Dear Adam,

Words cannot express how much you've screwed up. Your shortsightedness shall be your downfall and I defy you to explain your haphazard scheme to the boss. Do not worry, though, you shall be dead next we meet. I look forward to that day, as I should since traitors deserve only the most cruel of fates and you would be simply amazed at the terrible things I have access to purely for the sake of making sure you go out as miserably as possible. But you already knew that when you chose to turn against us, did you not? Just take this as a reminder of the endless despair you shall endure in your final instant of unrelenting perpetual agony.

Best wishes and cheer to all,

Your brilliant ally;

~ Arthur Watts"


	2. Introductions (2)

Part 2

-Introductions 2-

Watts opened a heavily rotted wooden door as he motioned for the faunus to enter his lair. Cautiously, Sandy looked over the inside of the darkly lit rural shack-like building, a stitched together leather sofa framed the main room as a wide bookshelf lined the wall to its right. Almost in confusion, the White Fang member looked up at the man. "Seriously?" She breathed in a disappointed tone. "You actually live here?"

"It's called a front." The doctor replied with a scowl. "My lab's where I spend most of my time. Below this shambling hobo house lies some of the greatest scientific advancements outside of Atlas!" Shutting the door behind him, the man made his way over to the bookshelf as he reached for something before seeming to stop whatever he was about to do. "You won't need a machine to watch over you while I'm out, correct? Because I'm going to be out a lot."

Immediately, Sandy's eyes went to the shelf as among the numerous professional looking books she spotted some form of personal notebook of some kind. "What, like a personal robot?" She asked, making her way to the notebook in curiosity. "Hey, is this your research notes or something?"

"No," Watts immediately responded as he casually handed her the object from the shelf. "It's Tyrian's. He came by for a visit once a while back, the man seemed pretty out of sorts, the pathetic crazy fool… I suggested he work it out with a diary. By the time I came back up from the lab, that entire book was full of his ramblings and he was already gone. He even shredded my couch in some form of frenzy, the loon…." Watts shook his head dismissively for a moment. "Feel free to read it if you want, but it's pretty rough. Halfway through it just starts repeating itself and devolves into nonsense."

Awkwardly, Sandy glanced over the diary, unsure what to make of the gesture. Was this a friend of his? Did he really not care about this Tyrian guy's privacy at all? Was it even alright to read this? "Uhh… thanks…." The tiger girl finally muttered under her breath.

"Now that that's aside!" The doctor continued, turning to face his guest. "I bet you're curious about why you're here, aren't you? Why I would even bother going to such lengths to prevent my plans from being heard by potential spies?"

The Faunus simply shrugged. "I dunno, I thought you just wanted to protect me or something. And I thought you'd have something more sturdy than just some crappy shed."

"It's… A Front…!" The doctor huffed in irritation before he cleared his composure, taking up a casual smile as he tried to hide his frustration. "To the point then! I work for Salem, a powerful individual who granted me quite the effective deal. I help support her order, she gives me the resources to study the few areas not even Atlas allows people to deal in. Until recently we had a partnership with Adam, but according to my drones it seems the man has gone rogue, severing our only contact with the White Fang…. You should understand where I'm going with this, correct?"

Slowly, Sandy nodded. "I understand completely…. That man killed my mother… at least, I heard he did…. But I guess this means it's true, doesn't it?" The White Fang member's hands balled into fists as she looked down, forcing herself to continue. "I never cared much for her, you know… she wanted me to experience life with the normal members…. She said it was to give me 'perspective' but I know she really just didn't want me in the way. But this does make me her rightful successor, doesn't it? And a big enemy of Adam until I can gain control… that is IF I ever gain control…." A heavy sigh escaped her as she glared up at the man. "I guess you're going to take advantage of that, aren't you?"

Watts's grin widened for a second as he paced to another section of the bookshelf, glancing across the various tomes. "Don't worry, we don't want to demand any cut of profits. I don't even have any interest in the Red Talons, as useful as they would be. You can keep those private assassins purely to yourself for self-defense, if you wish. Salem can even provide protection from the Grimm to important areas, given enough time. All we ask is your patience and loyalty in helping us." As the man took an especially thick brown book from the shelf, he turned back around to face his guest. "It's a good deal, don't you think? We give you control over the White Fang, you get whatever revenge you might want, and all we require is your occasional military support, specifically in-case the Atlas situation goes… unfavorable…. Now if you have no questions, I'll prepare the contract, understood?"


	3. Bad Luck

Part 3

-Bad Luck-

A gruff laugh escaped from Qrow as he stumbled across the street, his body clearly weaving as he started to fall over, only to be steadied by Weiss. "Thanks for the assist!" The dark haired man slurred, only to be met with a sigh of disapproval from the young huntress. "Let me have another round… for the road!"

"You've had enough!" Weiss firmly exclaimed before holding the side of her face, shaking her head wearily. The whole reason she had come with Qrow in the first place was to keep him from getting too wasted. It hadn't been long since they managed to secure the first relic, so Salem's forces were probably going to come looking for it at any moment…. And with how upbeat Ruby was and how reclusive Blake could be, the task fell to Weiss to be the responsible one in this situation, keeping Qrow from causing too much trouble or getting too wasted on his trips outside.

The huntsman smirked slightly as he walked forward with a swaying motion. "Come on, can't you just loosen up just this…" His thoughts slowed as he noticed a shape off in the distance before it quickly hid behind a nearby building. "… once…?" Immediately, the man's composure changed as he reached for his weapon. "Weiss…. Get back to the house now. I'll be back soon enough, but first I might need to deal with something."

After a moment of hesitation, Weiss found herself turning away as she ran from the scene, only to instantly regret her decision! Why didn't she stick around? Why didn't she even try to argue against him or help the man fight? No matter what the answer was, she couldn't turn back now, in fact she would probably only get in the way. It had to be the enemy, nothing else would make him react like that. But, for now… all she could do was wish him luck in the encounter!

"Qrow…!" The white-haired woman uttered under her breath. "I'm sorry."

Meanwhile, Qrow drew his blade as he held his sword with both hands, mentally readying himself for what was to come.

Slowly, Arthur Watts walked out of the shadows, clearly relishing the moment as he calmly pulled out a bronze cane with a subtle smirking grin. "Fancy meeting you here, Qrow. It took a few more attempts than I would have liked, but it seems what I heard was true… you really do have the worst luck! All the better for Salem, though." A slight chuckle escaped the mustached man as he carefully eyed his target's stance. "What's wrong, Qrow? Surely you're not a bit tipsy, are you? How… unfortunate."

"Didn't Salem tell you?" The swordsman replied without hesitation. "I'm always drunk." In reality, though, this was actually a legitimate problem. Qrow could only hope that the man in front of him wasn't that skilled since, despite Weiss's best efforts, he could already tell that if it came down to it, he'd be fighting at way less than 100%. Even now, the huntsman had to actively focus just to keep his own weapon from tipping him over in his current condition.

"Oh, is that so?" Watts mused in a condescending tone as he moved his left arm behind his back in a fencer-like stance. "You know, I'm not much of a fighter, but that doesn't matter. You know why? Because unlike incompetent caring losers like you, I'm smart enough to actually risk using my assets!" As if by command, three coyote-like Grimm walked into view, all spread out in a circle around Qrow with all three of them wearing metal helmets of some form that covered their eyes with a grey visor. A steel tank could be seen strapped to their backs, each with a pair of hoses curving around into each of the monster's mouths as they growled savagely despite stopping, almost as if they were awaiting some form of order.

"… The heck…?" The dark haired swordsman murmured as he glanced around at the sight as a sharp sense of dread filled him. Whatever this was, he had the sudden feeling that his chances of winning were shrinking by the moment.

The mustached man's grin widened as he bowed with his cane in a grandiose gesture. "BEHOLD!" He announced! "The fruits of my scientific progress! Unrelenting in its brilliance! Atlas scoffed at my research, they said it was too unorthodox and atheistic, but with my genius I have tamed darkness, itself! Beautiful, is it not?!" Watt's eyes widened as he grinned madly at what he had accomplished, taking great joy in finally being able to use his research for something. "On my last assignment I was fortunate enough to get a hold of these Underdogs, the fabled hell-hounds who dare to spite the foundations of providence, and I have done what generations of huntsman and zealots have been unable to accomplish. I have become their master! The power of Salem, herself, is practically within my grasp!" As he finally finished ranting, the scientist seemed to calm down, slipping effortlessly back into a calm, composed, indifferent glare. "Just surrender, Qrow, you have no chance of escaping my tactical assault. Play along and Salem might even allow you to join our order! I would be delighted to vouch for your application now that certain other assets have become more… difficult to confirm…. It's only logical to seek allies over enemies, after all, don't you agree?"

Immediately, Qrow tried to escape, running towards an alleyway before his path was instantly blocked by one of the Underdogs! The Grimm were fast, faster than Qrow in his current state. But still, that didn't mean he couldn't fight! With one smooth motion, the huntsman swung his weapon down only for the monster to jump backwards before opening its mouth. In a split second, Qrow realized what was happening as he pulled his sword back and blocked the coming fireball with the side of his sword before he turned back around, away from the Grimm, and instead charged straight at Watts! "If I beat the pups, then I'll go for the one with the leash!"

As Watts prepared for the attack, his target suddenly seemed to rapidly shrink as Qrow suddenly transformed into a bird! In a flurry of swings, the scientist aimed for his opponent as the bird circled around him before flying above the man and turning back into its human form as Qrow prepared a downward falling strike! But, suddenly, the dark haired man's momentum stopped as he found himself rising back into the air against his will before reverting back into a bird form and finally being forced to run backwards before his body would finally listen to him again.

"What was-" Qrow muttered before he suddenly felt a blast of flames slam into him from behind! Did his opponent reverse time? Instinctively, Qrow turned to glance at the direction the fire attack came from only to see the Underdog several meters away, right where it was when he last saw it. No… this wasn't right. That attack came too quickly for how far away it was. There had to be some trick to this! But, before he could think about it any further, a second blast of fire made contact with the man from his right, hitting hard enough to nearly knock him off his feet as Qrow was forced to stumble to the side for balance. And then another fire blast! This time hitting him from the left as the swordsman nearly raised his weapon in time to block it, only to be met with another direct hit!

There was no mistaking it now, Qrow realized. There was only two ways this made sense… and, either way, this was shaping up to be one heck of an uphill battle. However, before he could focus any more on figuring out Watts's Semblance, Qrow glanced up just in time to see his opponent, himself, run forward as he smashed the swordsman in the face with his cane, swinging as hard as he could with both hands as Qrow was forced to take several awkward steps back to regain his balance.

Watts simply slicked his hair back as he pointed his cane back at his opponent. "You're a scary guy, Qrow… but you knew that, right? If I didn't have this ace up my sleeve then you would have probably already won by now."

"Damnit…." The swordsman uttered in a gasping breath. "This isn't gonna be easy…. But, on the plus side, I'm finally starting to sober up a bit." Slowly, the huntsman straightened his posture as his weapon began ticking as gears and cogs whirred into motion, transforming his blade into a curved scythe as Qrow turned his head to look up at his confident foe! "Come on, then!" Qrow shouted with a renewed sense of energy. "Let's see just how good the rest of your hand really is!"

"How fitting." The doctor mused with a slight chuckle. "It's only right for one curse with misfortune to lose with such a shallow bluff! But tell me, Qrow, are you really fine with those being your final words?!"


	4. Branching Paths

Part 4

-Branching Paths-

Ruby Rose joined the rest of the group as they sat down in various chairs and furniture around Weiss, who seemed to have grown much more solemn since her outing. She seemed clearly off, but, eventually, Weiss took a step forward and began speaking. "I… I'm so sorry…." The white haired woman simply began. "But now that we're all here, we have to come to an agreement on something."

"Wait!" Ruby interjected suddenly. "Shouldn't we wait for Qrow to come back? If this is a group decision then he should be involved, right?"

Almost immediately, a sense of dread filled the room as Weiss awkwardly covered her mouth for a moment, forcing down her emotions before she managed to calm herself and continue. "Ruby… Qrow won't be joining us, he's…. Well…. This is going to be… difficult…." With a quick breath, the huntress finally said it. "Qrow has been captured. And on our front door, the one responsible has left an ultimatum." Without hesitating, Weiss pulled out a piece of paper. "It says that Salem has enough Maidens to get the Atlas relic, but it also says they'll kill Qrow if we don't go to the specified location within one week…. Which means we need to make a choice. Do we go after the Relic or do we save Qrow?"

Oscar's eyes glowed yellow as Ospin took over. "It's hard to say for sure…." He began. "But each door requires progressively more Maidens working together to open, with Atlas's requiring two. So while we don't know what happened to Salem in the last battle, we can assume that they wouldn't be able to capture Raven yet." Ozpin casually tapped his cane on the ground as Oscar's face turned more serious. "It's completely possible that this is a ruse to get us to leave Qrow behind while they gather intel from him. On the other hand, though, this could easily be a trap."

"It doesn't matter!" Ruby cut in, a fierce determination coming from her voice. "There's no point in even talking about it, I'm going to save Qrow…. WE'RE going to save Qrow. Uncle Qrow's been helping us this entire time and we can't leave him behind!"

Oscar nodded briefly. "I understand how you feel, Ruby." Ozpin simply stated before turning back to Weiss. "Does it say whose giving us that information, by chance?"

"Uhm- yes!" The huntress responded as she quickly checked the piece of paper. "It actually does. It's specifically signed by someone named 'Jack Holmes', if that means anything to you."

After a moment of thought, Oscar shook his head as Ozpin spoke through him. "I'm sorry, I don't know any member of Salem's order that goes by such a name. Which means this could potentially be an ally… that, or it's another potential trick to throw us off. Maybe an alias for an existing member to keep us from knowing their identity for certain?" As he finished, Oscar took back over, his eyes returning to their normal color as he dropped his cane. "Ozpin…." He simply said in a harsh tone. "We need to talk. ALONE." Without any further warning, Oscar stood up and angrily stormed into the next room over, almost slamming the door on his way there.

With an awkward laugh, Jaune just scratched the back of his head. "I'm sure he'll be fine, he just… you know…. Lots of pressure, right, guys?" A defeated groan escaped the man before he went back to the topic at hand. "Uhh… anyways, I hate to say it, but… I think we need to go for the Relic. I wish we could save Qrow, but… well, Ozpin's right, it sounds like a trap. And if Salem wants these things then we can't let her get it. You understand, right, Ruby?"

As the rest of the group focused on her, Ruby wearily closed her eyes for a moment, gritting her teeth in irritation. "I won't leave him behind." She firmly stated. "If you want to go to Atlas that bad, you can go. But I'm going to save Qrow no matter what."

An eerie silence filled the room as what was suggested slowly sunk in. But, soon enough, it was broken as Blake eventually spoke up. "I think that might be for the best." The faunus finally announced coldly. "Atlas is a militarized city, it's hard to know if Salem has gotten to them yet, but we might be able to simply warn them about Salem." Ruby's head darted up in surprise as Blake continued. "I used to conduct stealth operations with Adam, so if Salem has control of the area I can slip away and at least inform the others of the situation."

Yang crossed her arms before nodding in agreement. "I know nobody wants us to split up again, but this might be our best bet." Slowly, she extended her fake arm as she looked down at her hand. "I've learned that sometimes it's better to look at what's important than it is to fight. If Salem gets the Relics, then we'll need to save more than just Qrow. Besides, if Blake can't sneak away then someone will have to save her and Jaune, right?"

Ilia raised her hand to get the group's attention. "I know I'm still new, but I want to help in Atlas, too. I can help on a Stealth mission. Besides… I still need to make some stuff up to Blake."

Ruby could only stare in disbelief as her eyes darted around from one person to the next as everyone seemed to turn against her. "You guys… It's Qrow we're talking about. We can't just leave him! Just think, what if it was one of you that was captured?!" A single tear rolled down her face. "I can't stand it… I won't let this happen! Trap or not, Qrow's expecting us to be there and I won't leave him alone!"

"Ruby…." Weiss uttered as a smile slowly crossed her face. "Don't worry, I'm with you."

"Weiss!" The dark haired woman gasped in response.

With a moment of hesitation, Weiss breathed a heavy sigh. "It's my fault we're in this mess, anyways. If I just tried to fight with him, Qrow might have been able to escape. So I owe it to him to do what I can now. Besides…." The huntress crossed her arms as she turned her head to face Ruby specifically. "You are our leader, after all. I can't have you getting yourself killed now, can I?"

Before she could react, Ruby suddenly got up and wrapped her arms around Weiss, pulling her into an unwanted energetic hug as the white haired woman reflexively tried to push her leader away in confusion. But, before she could, another set of arms joined the group as a head of orange hair bobbed into view!

"I'm in this too!" Nora shouted, joining in on the act with enough force to send both Ruby and Weiss eventually falling over. "Sorry!" The woman screamed as she let go, Ruby laughing on the ground next to her as Weiss turned her head in a cold pout before subtly cracking a smirk at the situation. Nora quickly hopped back to her feet as she effortlessly helped the other two up. "Whoever this Jack guy is, he messed with the wrong bird, so I'll just have to flock together and hit them both with one stone!"

"You really do have a way with words, Nora." Rem simply stated as he looked at the three with a slight grin. "My answer should be obvious. Me, Weiss, Ruby, and Nora will go save Qrow. Meanwhile, Yang, Blake, Ilia, and Jaune will save the Relic."

Quickly, Sun stood up as he looked the two groups over. "So, so far we're four-and-four, right?" He casually admitted. "Then I guess I'll just have to go with whichever team Ozpin doesn't join! Then it'll be a solid five-and-five! That'll work out nicely!" A slight laugh escaped the man before his expression became calmer and more collected. "In all seriousness, though, I'm really not sure what I'd pick if it was up to me… I'm horrible at stuff like this. So it's good to know I won't have to really a team myself, although I do have my 'preferences', if you catch my drift?"

Before anyone could muster up the courage to ask for Sun to clarify what he actually meant, Ozpin's voice caught everyone's attention as Oscar entered the room. "Oh, we're doing teams then, are we?" Immediately, Oscar went to Ozpin's cane, picking it up as he opened his glowing eyes. "Then I suppose it'd be best if I went with what I wanted rather than what would be expected. I have a very long history with Qrow… if you'll accept my help, it would be my honor to try to save him. And, if I understand correctly, that would mean that you, Sun, would be with…."

Instantly, a smile crossed the Faunus's face as he quickly slipped over next to Blake, Ilia subtly facepalming as she realized what was this group was going to be. "It'll be Sun and Blake's adventures, 2.0!" Sun exclaimed out of nowhere. "You know, except with Jaune. He's a fun guy, right?"

Awkwardly, Blake just shrugged her shoulders. "I guess? I never really-"

A smirk crossed Yang's face. "Of course he is!" She randomly gloated on Jaune's behalf. "Remember that time he came to prom in a dress? That was something, right?"

As Jaune turned his head, blushing, a heavy sigh escaped Ilia at the conversation going on here. "If we never get found out, it'll be a miracle…."

The teams had been set and time was now more essential than ever before. Without a moment's pause, both groups began making preparations to set off on their own missions, one spurred on with the resolve to succeed at any cost while the other prepared to save one of their own, specifically intending to complete their objective and re-group as fast as possible! Yet, neither knew of the true dangers that lurked just out of reach at their own independent objectives.


	5. Day of Departure

Part 5

-Day of Departure-

As Ruby joined the group outside, she quickly glanced around the friends she was about to leave behind. Yang, Blake, Ilia, Jaune, and Sun…. It would be a while before she'd see any of them again. "Hang on-" the huntress suddenly began. "What are we going to do about the Relic we found?"

Suddenly, Ren walked out of the building with a brown sack in his arms that seemed to contain some form of object. "Don't worry, I have a plan." The man explained. "I've discussed this with Ozpin beforehand and we both agree it's the best course of action."

As the other group began leaving, Yang flashed a smile as she waved at Ruby. "Don't worry, I'm sure you've got it figured out. It's a shame that you won't be able to fly to Qrow, though. But make sure to give us a heads-up when you're done, okay?" Casually, the blonde woman turned around as she began to walk away after her current team.

After several moments of travel, Ruby's group finally happened across their first stop, a tavern in a rough wooden building simply called 'Nevermore's'. "Are you sure about this?" Ruby asked openly. "I was expecting some vault or a guarded safe…"

"OR!" Norra added. "Maybe a legendary huntsman group is in here who'd be willing to guard the fate of the world with their lives!"

Ren simply shook his head at the idea. "No, nothing that crazy." He openly admitted before turning to Ruby and Norra. "You two should probably come with me, though, just in-case."

After sharing a confused glance, the two girls followed the dark haired man inside where they found the seedy building to be mostly empty, save for a couple seemingly drunk women in the back and the bartender himself. A large, robust, person of true grit sporting a brown crew cut and a full beard. "Well? What be it for ya's kids? Ya know we don't serve sippy drinks, ya-know?"

For an instant, Ren glanced towards the patrons near the back of the tavern before he finally decided to go through with the plan. With one clean motion he pulled out a card and put it on the counter. "Would it be okay if I hid something here?" He asked in a hushed voice. "This should cover any damages."

"Are ya oudda your-!" The gruff man started before he glanced back down at the number before him with shock. Cautiously, he glanced back up at Ren, then back to the card, then back up at Ren once again. "Ohh, it's like that, aien't it? Eh? Must be some hot trouble for that. Fer that much, go ta town, ya need a couple rounds on the way out? I dun like not repaying generosity, pal."

"No- no need!" The huntsman gasped in a quick response as he raised his hands defensively, hiding behind a forced smile. "Just please don't tell anybody about this, we're kind-of in a hurry."

"Your call, bub." Replied the bartender with a shrug.

Quickly, Ruby glanced down at the card before turning back to Ren in a similar manner to how the gruff man had done before. "Uhh, Ren, are you sure you're okay with this? I didn't even know we had this much in team RNJR! Where did this come from?!"

"It's no big deal." The man simply stated. "It's just… whenever we'd get rewards on the way here, I never had anything I wanted to spend it on, so it just…. You know…." Before things could get awkward, Ren suddenly turned around. "Um, anyways, I should get to work. I'll be back in a few minutes." Without any further hesitation, the man headed straight to the bathroom before shutting the door behind him as the distinctive sound of wooden boards being plied apart.

Slowly, Norra's eyes widened as she came to a sudden realization. "Ooohhhh…. He must have really had to go." As the huntress looked up, she was met with the sight of the bartender slowly facepalming at the comment.

"I dun know what you lads are into…" the man sighed. "But I hope you know what you're doin', kids."

Meanwhile, in the corner of the room, a girl with jet-black hair seemed to drunkenly slump over as her rust-colored eyes darted up for just a split second, just enough to glimpse the two huntresses out of the corner of her eye. In that moment, her hand reached into her pocket, subtly texting a message to her allies with a hidden Scroll that read simply as follows:

'It seems fortune is on my side yet again. Care to keep up?

\- Doragon'


	6. Salem

Part 6

-Salem-

After most of the group had gone into the Tavern, Weiss breathed a heavy sigh as she mentally prepared herself for a moment. Now alone with Oscar, there was something she needed to know. Calmly, she put her hand on the boy's shoulder. "Excuse me," she began, "but I really need to talk to Ozpin for a moment. It might be important."

Immediately, Oscar shot the huntress a bitter glare at hearing the name before he quickly calmed down. "So I guess I really am just a substitute for him, right?" He openly stated, more to himself than to Weiss. "Fine." The boy admitted. "If it's that important…." The kid's eyes changed color as he took on a more dignified stance, Ozpin's voice now coming out of him. "I think I already know what you're about to ask."

Weiss simply nodded. "I don't know why Ruby doesn't seem to know anything, but I want an explanation. What are these Relics for and why is Salem after them?" It wasn't as if any doubts had been forming in the Schnee heiress's mind and she had no intentions of abandoning the team or leaving her friends behind. And, in a way, she knew that Ozpin would be aware of this, as well. All she wanted was answers. Answers that were being kept hidden from them.

"Where to even begin…." Ozpin muttered. "The truth is… complicated. And I don't want something like that to weigh Ruby down. But you probably already understand that, don't you? But, I suppose you'd be able to understand it a bit better than some of the others, anyways." Oscar's body took in a heavy breath as Ozpin, himself, became anxious about how Weiss would take in this knowledge. "The relics themselves are devices. Keys, you could say. They exist to gather magic, the power of the gods. The first time they were used, they granted one man incredible magical ability, but he quickly learned to fear this power. So he hid the four Relics behind four doors and created the Maidens to be their gatekeepers. Each door is numbered from zero to three for how many Maidens are needed to unlock them and while each Relic can grant a small amount of energy, they are all but useless unless all together, meaning you need a majority ruling from the Maidens before unlocking the final door."

"That much we already basically know." Weiss admitted as she mentally scanned through his words. They did open up a few questions, but everything seemed to check out, at least based on what they specifically had to know. "And what about you?" She began, turning her head to more directly face Oscar. "Did you use the Beacon Relic to learn how to turn people into birds?"

A slight, conflicted, chuckle escaped the boy as a tear rolled down Oscar's face. "If only it were that easy…." Ozpin admitted. "I was young and naïve at the time, a foolish idiot who didn't understand what he was doing…. Someone not unlike the monsters I would come to regretfully create. Just knowing of the legends, I gathered up a group of friends and… well… you probably understand what happened next."

"Wait, you mean…." Slowly, Weiss's eyes widened in shock as she quickly put the pieces together. "You didn't-" She gasped, only to see Oscar's body flinch at the words before the woman continued. "You killed the Maidens and put the Relics back. But… why…?"

A frustrated huff escaped Ozpin as he regained his composure, forcing himself to speak despite only being able to muster a trembling voice. "And now you understand why Ruby can't know." He finally admitted. "The reason why doesn't matter, at least, not anymore…. I conquered countless cities for myself and did horrible, unforgivable, things. But, eventually, old age caught up to me and, as I died, I used my magic to force my soul to persist. Since then my powers have only grown weaker and weaker each incarnation until now. I've become too disconnected to even remove my own curses, to powerless to even stop the cycles I've created." Ozpin slowly looked up, staring Weiss directly in the eye with the grim stare of one truly haunted by himself. "I would give anything to end myself and keep from stealing this child's future. But, until my curse finally runs out, I'm forced to live in a cyclical hell of my own personal creation. The least I can do is stop what evils I've brought into this world in whatever small way I can."

A shudder of irrational fear ran through Weiss for a moment. As much as she prepared herself, she had never imagined that her own headmaster would say such damning words about himself. "I… I see…." She murmured to herself. She wanted to comfort him in some way, she wanted to say she understood his pain and give the man some form of peace of mind, but the words simply wouldn't come. As much as she wanted to, the Huntress knew she had no right to comment on Ozpin's situation. She could only accept his decision to try and fix things. "And… by 'evils', I assume you mean…."

"Salem." Ozpin admitted openly with a gasping breath. "Back when I first became what I am, she was part of my team. As weird as it may seem, Salem is not a god nor a devil, she might even still be human inside, but not even I could have predicted the lengths she would go to to satisfy her ambition." As he changed his stance to lean more on the cane, Ozpin seemed to finally calm himself as he explained the truth of their enemy. "Salem used to be a very timid person, but during my quest she encountered misfortune. It was then that she unlocked her Semblance…. Hatred. A dreadful, cold, hatred. A hatred strong enough to make the Grimm obey her, and one she's been perfecting throughout the ages, a hatred she's sharpened into her weapon against the world. So great was her hatred towards all things that she managed to take the essence of the Grimm, themselves, into her body and has managed to survive this entire time, slowly gathering her forces to take the Relics for herself and make the same mistake I once did." A heavy sigh escaped Ozpin before he continued, looking down at the ground with an uncertain remorse.

"If Salem wins…." The child's body began. "Then she will use magic to only amplify her hatred, giving her enough power to freely control all Grimm across the world. And then, she'll send them out and conquer the entire planet, crushing anyone who disobeys instantly as she imposes her own rule against the world. Wars would stop and all violence and crime would become a thing of the past… but, in exchange, countless will die and in our rebellion, humanity itself may accidentally be wiped from all existence." Ozpin dug his cane further into the ground as he turned to Weiss. "That is the world Salem wishes to create. And that is why she must be stopped. Which is why all the others need to know is that Salem cannot be allowed to succeed."

Weiss could only stare on in shock at how dire their situation really was. Immediately, she almost regretted asking just how bad things could get or how much weight their journey really had. Only three words escaped her mouth at the revelation. "Oh… I see….." Yeah, no pressure or anything, just win out against Salem or everyone would die! Now that she had a moment to consider things, she really regretted asking at all! As wrong as it sounded, Ozpin was probably right. If Ruby knew the truth, then who knew what she'd do? As things began to sink in, Weiss was suddenly greeted with just a few words that helped her through the situation before her.

Ozpin simply closed his eyes. "I'm sorry to put you through this." And, with that, Ozpin passed control back over to Oscar as the boy quietly let go of his cane.

As bad as things were, at least he was willing to admit to what he did. The thought put Weiss's mind at ease for a moment… then, as she thought through the man's words, something stuck out that immediately stole what fleeting comfort Weiss had found in all of this. MonsterS? EvilS? As in more than one? Ozpin… what else was there to this? They had only heard of Salem because of what happened in Beacon and where that lead them. But how many other people like that could possibly be out there? Just how many other people like Salem could Ozpin possibly be responsible for? Before she could contemplate it for too long, Weiss's thoughts were interrupted abruptly.

"You can't be serious!" A loud woman's voice rang out. "What, you split the group? You underestimating me?! Seems like a bad move… now how am I gonna have my fun with this?!"

Immediately, Weiss turned towards the noise and drew her sword as the figure launched itself straight at her! Before she could get a good look at her attacker, their fist had already collided with her face, knocking her field of vision away as Weiss quickly formed a black sigil under her feet to keep herself from being knocked over! Out of the corner of her eye, she caught her opponent smiling widely as they seemed to be awaiting her counter-attack. Despite her lingering questions, there was no time to learn more. Now, the new battle against Salem's forces had already begun!


	7. Raging Tiger, Freezing Blade

Part 7

-Raging Tiger, Freezing Blade-

You want to look down on me? Fine. Go ahead. Moron, fool, knucklehead, I've heard it all. But that doesn't matter…. All that matters is the fight. Now acknowledge me. Face me head on so I have a reason to unsheathe my claws again!

The woman's fist struck Weiss's face as the huntress formed a sigil, holding herself in place for just a moment before quickly undoing it so she could be send sliding backwards in time to avoid another blow! Slowly, the white haired huntress raised her rapier as she caught her breath from the sudden exchange, her opponent landing on the ground in front of her.

The girl, seemingly in her early 20s, raised her arms in a loose boxer-like stance, spikey blonde hair sticking down from her black beanie hat, her body was covered by a simple white shirt and a pair of jeans with a long-sleeved open leather jacket covering her arms, on the back of which was a stylized image of a tiger's head. Despite her short, slim, stature, an intense glare flashed through her green eyes as a toothy, excited, grin crossed her face, her right leg slamming into the ground with one of her brown shoes as she widened her stance, pushing one arm in front of the other before turning her hand around and motioning for her target to come at her. "The name's Lilly. Lilly of the Tiger-Style Fist!" She announced brazenly. "You ready to go!? Don't let me down, now!"

Whoever this new fighter was, Weiss quickly gauged their general strength. That wasn't a weak punch, she clearly had aura. And the fact that she came alone meant she was confident. Even if for a moment, the smartest thing to do was to buy time for the others to arrive. Any major battle would only waste time and energy, but few people would be daring enough to try and take on all five of them at once, right?

"Listen-" The sword-user began. "Salem is dangerous and if she wins she's going to destroy everything! The fate of the very world might rest on this rescue mission!"

"I don't care." Lilly simply responded before suddenly leaning forward and forcing all of her strength in her front-most foot, allowing the fighter to launch herself straight at her opponent in the blink of an eye! "I'm getting the most out of this job no matter what!"

Weiss blindly swing her sword in a moment of panic as she immediately took a hard punch to the stomach, forcing her to buckle over in pain before being knocked back upright by a second blow to the head! Reflexively, the huntress began stumbling backwards as Lilly continued her onslaught, forcing Weiss to just barely block and parry a series of lightning-fast palm-strikes, jabs, and kicks with seemingly no end in sight until, finally, Weiss swung her sword in at the woman to try and gain some room only for her opponent to block the attack with the side of her arm before moving her arm in a quick circular motion to grab Weiss by the wrist, taking control of the arm she held her sword in.

For a brief second, the sword-user's eye glanced over to Lilly's hand as she quickly noticed a bloody cut across her palm. Wait… blood? But her aura didn't seem to be gone yet. Did she somehow get through her aura at some point? But, before she could think too much about the small detail, Weiss suddenly lost her balance as Lilly quickly pulled her right arm in a jerking downward motion before coming at the huntress with her free hand! Immediately, the huntress was forced on the ropes yet again as Weiss could only raise her left arm in defense to protect her head as Lilly began wildly swinging her right fist straight at Weiss's raised arm in a brutal series of attacks, each one getting a more direct hit through Weiss's makeshift guard than the last!

A dissatisfied glare crossed the fighter's face as she sneered in pure rage at her opponent. "Fight back…" she breathed. "C'mon! Is this all a proper Huntress can do?! SERIOUSLY?!" As two or three more blows landed, Lilly's punch finally got through as she smashed into the woman's face, spit flying out of her mouth as her head was forced to the side from the impact of the blow. In a fleeting moment, Lilly's face got closer as both her and her target locked eyes. "Why…." The brawler muttered. "Since when do Huntresses have so little nerve?"

"Why are you so scared, Huntress?"

Time seemed to stop for a moment as the words seemed to cut into Weiss, digging themselves deep into her mind. That's right…. She was a Huntress now. Her father wasn't here and she got her wish. She was finally able to put her life on the line for the sake of the world. Right, she could finally do what she always wanted…. So why… why did she suddenly find herself trembling now that her life was on the line?! No, she couldn't stop, she had to keep going for the sake of everyone else!

Out of nowhere, Weiss suddenly flipped her sword around, holding it in a reverse grip as she drew from as much of her strength as she could to stab the tip of the sword into the ground, causing the Dust inside the weapon to form a large chunk of ice around Lilly's legs! For a split second, the fighter glanced down in surprise, distracting her for just long enough for the huntress to finally break out of her attacker's grip and step away!

"Yes…" Weiss breathed. "I am a Huntress. And I'm more than capable enough to take out someone like you."

"Oh really?" Lilly smiled as she reared her arm back before shattering the ice with her fist in one solid attack. "Then let's see you try!" Without thinking, the brawler rushed straight at her target yet again only to be met with a white sigil on the ground. As soon as the fighter got close to it, Weiss simply motioned upwards with her left hand as the sigil launched Lilly straight up into the air! An annoyed leer crossed the woman's face as she looked down at Weiss only to see a barrage of lasers fly from her direction! "Cheap son of a-" The fighter growled as she was forced to cross her arms in an X shape to block as well as she could against the ranged attacks as they exploded against her body.

A slight smirk crossed Weiss's face. "Oh, sorry, I meant to say 'WE' would be taking you out!"

"Wha-" Immediately, Lilly turned to the side in time to see Ruby flying straight at her as she twisted around and slammed into the woman with a flying dropkick! Without hesitation, the blonde woman faced her new adversary as Ruby held her scythe at a steep angle away from her opponent and pulled the trigger, using the recoil of the shot to fly down towards the ground with the brawler at a steep angle! For a second, a smirk formed on the brawler's face. This… this was more like it! An opponent that could really get her blood pumping!

As Ruby and Lilly crashed into a random building off in the distance, Oscar quickly ran up to Weiss, panting heavily. "I- I'm sorry that took so long!" He explained. "I froze up, and Norra chose to stay behind, but- As soon as I told them, Ruby didn't wait at all to come help!"

"… Yeah…." The white haired huntress muttered softly in a calm, collected, voice. "Ruby's always been quick to rush into danger like that."


	8. Dr Watts's Aura Lesson

Part 8

-Dr. Watts's Aura Lesson-

Back at the hideout, Sanghris casually glanced down at the ground as she sat on the damaged sofa. Several floorboards lifted up in a bunch as if they were connected, sliding over to reveal a round manhole-like tunnel leading straight down as Arthur Watts climbed up the metal rungs of it straight to the surface.

The faunus simply crossed her arms as she observed the man. "You're never going to let me down there, are you?" She chimed.

"I'd never be able to trust anyone in my lab." Watts immediately responded before fixing the boarded section back over the entrance to the hole. "Testing Grimm Control Mechanisms is extremely dangerous. Just one whiff of panic and you'd set my whole collection off, I could never trust that out of anyone but myself."

"Fine…" Sandy breathed, rolling her head before quickly changing topics. "Then teach me how to fight. That'd solve things, right?" An excited smile crossed her face at the idea. "Yeah, then if the Grimm go nuts I could just kick them back in their cages, right? And then maybe I could actually leave this dumb hobo house for a bit and do something!"

"Oh?" The doctor muttered as he finally stood up, straightening his posture. "That could indeed be most interesting. Tell me, child, with your limited knowledge, do you even know much of Aura? How it works? What it even is?"

For a moment, the Faunus closed her eyes in thought before she finally came up with an answer. "It's like a life force thing, right? But I know you need training to use it."

"That's… part of it, yes…." Watts mused, grabbing his chin with his left hand for a moment as he prepared to go into a full-on lecture. "We don't quite know who it was that first discovered how to use Aura. According to mythology, his name was Gildemesh, but historical records imply there were others before him. The Grimm have always been a problem for humanity, but ever since we were capable of sharpening spears we've been able to deal with them through ranged attacks and sheer numbers, but it was only through the use of Aura that the first civilizations came to be. But, so far this is all standard to you, correct?'

A heavy sigh escaped Sandy as she suddenly realized what she had gotten herself into. Well, either way, it didn't matter. If she could get anything out of this information then she might as well hear the rest of this out, even if she was in for a long, pointless, boring, talk. "Yeah, I've got it so far." She explained. "Don't worry about me, just keep going. I'll ask questions if I don't get something."

"Fair enough." The mustached man continued as he began to search around the room for a solid blackboard in-case it was needed. "You see, every person has innate Aura, but it normally only effects our natural healing processes, the immune system, wounds, things of that nature. But Huntsmen and Huntresses train to strengthen their Aura and gain the ability to externalize it across their entire bodies. There are two major factors when it comes to Aura-use: Output and Capacity. These two factors are generally inverse of eachother. High-Output users have lower Aura reserves but can manifest more of it at once, allowing them to hit with higher concentrations of Aura for more damage… this also makes them Low-Capacity users in another perspective. Meanwhile, Low-Output users focus less on direct damage and more on defense, using less Aura to coat themselves and keeping more in reserve to replace the Aura they lose during battle. This makes Low-Output users more defensive in nature. But while these are the two factors, don't be mislead into thinking about this in extremes, between the offensively-focused users and the defensively-focused is an entire range of grey areas that Huntsmen can fall into."

Yup. This was already feeling like a mistake. An educational mistake, but a boring one, none-the-less. Oh well, might as well just ride it out to the end, then. "Hang on…." The Faunus randomly exclaimed to try and get Watt's attention. "So what determines what you're good in? Like… I don't know… what if I want to hit things really hard but I'm… what was it? Low-Output?"

"Of course it all depends on your existing personality." Watts simply answered as he finally pulled out a small rolling blackboard that seemed to have been previously used to write down the names of various assorted chemicals and scientific terms. "It all falls down to your natural rhythm, the pace you typically approach a situation with and what feels right to the user." In big words Watts quickly noted down 'FAST TEMPO = HIGH OUTPUT' alongside an image of a stick figure meant to probably be dancing. "But as your personality changes and shifts, your natural rhythm can, as well, leading to the slow change from, for example, a High-Output type into a Low-Output type. Indeed, it is only natural humans to do such as they change over the years."

Well, the board definitely wasn't helping, but it was at least an appreciated gesture on Watts's part. "Okay, so I think I get it." Sandy muttered before lying across the couch on her back. "So that means I practice to activate my Aura and then I can just fight Grimm. Got it. So I just need to do the Huntress training thing?"

"That's one option." The doctor continued as he quickly sketched out two stick figures, the rightmost one with a person-shaped outline surrounding them and the weapon they seemed to be carrying while the one on the left simply had a circle surrounding their left hand with what appeared to be a beanie hat on their head. "To the right, we have how Huntsmen use Aura. Their training builds Aura naturally, allowing them to cover their entire bodies along with their weapons of choice, even powering up some projectiles. It's a very safe fighting style that allows them to fight prolonged battles safely. Meanwhile, on the left, we have the other main method of Aura-usage."

"Ehh?" Sandy uttered as she sat up and tilted her head slightly at the image. "Wait, so… that's someone only using Aura on their arm, right?" Slowly, she examined the image. "Hang on, is that meant to be that mercenary girl I hired?"

"Good eye." Watts replied with a smile. "For those without access to a Huntsman academy, it's not uncommon for styles of martial arts to develop. Without the use of high-grade weapons, people are forced to instead focus their aura into a single body part at a time to strengthen it. However, by doing so, the rest of their body is exposed, meaning any aura-based attacks will go completely unstopped." To hammer home his point, Watts quickly sketched the image of a gun along with a spray of blood from the torso of the unarmed stick figure. "It's a dangerous fighting style made for the common man to keep up with Grimm with. Because it uses less Aura overall, it's easier to learn but as a drawback you force yourself to have to predict every move your opponent does. In addition, because you're focused on swapping aura around your body, your natural rhythm is screwed up, making it different for martial artists to gather larger quantities of Aura or to learn to fight like a Huntsman. Likewise, it's also difficult for Huntsmen to learn to fight like Martial Artists. Because of this, experts will always focus on one or the other, the safer and more reliable armed combat or the more risky and precision-heavy unarmed combat."

Blankly, Sandy stared at the board, trying to wrap her head around it all. "So basically, my choice is between fists or swords?" She muttered, boiling the entire conversation down to a simple choice. "I'm not really sure which would feel 'better'… I guess for my purposes it would be better to go with the faster one, but if I'm going to take over the White Fang, I probably shouldn't be that reckless." For a moment, she looked down in thought. "I think… the one thing that matters. The thing that really matters the most…. Is that I don't want to use the same weapon my mother did. I want to do my on thing and become strong in my own way, whatever that might mean. You know what I'm getting at?"

Watts suddenly grabbed an eraser as he cleared out most of the board with a single swipe. "I think I understand exactly what you mean!" He shouted, enthusiastically. "Now, let me go over the main classes of weapons Huntresses use. Think hard on it, this choice will define what type of fighter you'll be."

A shudder of fear ran down the Faunus's spine. Oh no, he actually enjoyed giving out lectures! Now she'd never be able to get him to stop! It would be useful knowledge, but he'd NEVER STOP!


	9. Nezumi's Move

Part 9

-Nezumi's Move-

At the woman's order, he moved to the bathroom. Without much searching, the man found a loose tile in the ceiling that he quickly pushed over before hoisting his body up into the area above before he cautiously moved the tile back in place. He slicked his short blonde hair back as his thin, fox-like, eyes took in what little light they could in the dusty hiding space around him. In a place like this, his yellow suit would be completely hidden along with his fairly tall build. Slowly, his mouth forced itself into a grin, showing his rodent-like fangs, unusually large incisors, sharpened thin canines, and short but viciously jagged premolars. His large rat-like tail twitched in excitement at the trickery he would be a part of.

This man, seemingly in his late 20s, was Nezumi of the Red Talons. One of the White Fang's 12 assassins tasked with the group's most secretive and dangerous missions, each one adopting a set title as their name: Nezumi, Ushi, Tora, Usagi, Doragon, Hebi, Uma, Hitsuji, Saru, Ondori, Inu, and Buta. Usually, the group existed purely for the sake of the head of the White Fang, however recently things had been a bit… complicated…. The Red Talons had never been intended to be directly tied to the White Fang. As a way to keep their secretive work free from being used against the group, no paperwork or contracts were ever signed. It was a flimsy bit of deniability, but one that both the White Fang and the Red Talons had found comfort in. However, this also lead to a problem as the Red Talons were forced to follow orders on loyalty alone. Because of this, as Ghira stepped down, several members left with him. And, as Sienna was assassinated and replaced with Adam, the Red Talons were split once again between the members who shared Adam's ideals and who felt loyalty to the White Fang and the ones who were only still around due to Sienna's leadership.

Nezumi sighed softly as he thought back on the companions that had left. He might be in hiding like this for a while. It was a long shot that this would even work, but Doragon's instincts were incredibly accurate. If she thought a target might come into this specific room, then Nezumi had nothing to lose by hiding in it on the high chance that her guess was correct. But, while he was there, the Faunus's mind began to wonder as he thought back to his past.

Mistral had always been a beautiful city from the outside, but back in the day, it was rougher than it let on. While prejudice had been on the decline, for the gangs of Mistral, people were firm on sticking to the old was. Back then, Nezumi had been brought into one of these groups. Less as a member than as a punching bag, really. He'd always be sent off to do the worst jobs that nobody else wanted to do and if he ever tried to get help then they'd be quick to beat him to the ground. At first, the Faunus had tried to bide his time and plan a way out, simply playing along with the group. But, before he knew it, he found himself isolated from those he used to know until, with nowhere left to go, he was stuck and, in his forced situation, Nezumi began to grow accustomed to his usual despair. His heart grew cold as he accepted his fate. He wasn't special… he was just trash. He was just as worthless and disgusting and horrible as they had been telling him that he was. His existence didn't belong in this world. All he had left was a desire to feel useful for those around him. Maybe then… maybe if he just pleased his captors… maybe, just maybe, he could even pay off the sins of his existence, perhaps? Gradually, Nezumi began to smile as he was beaten, he began to get a twisted sense of enjoyment of it. This was a good thing. He needed to suffer for all to be right in the world, but if only he could do it himself? Save the others the pain of having to do this while being more useful to the gang on his own….

It was then that Nezumi managed to awaken his Semblance and, as Sienna visited Mistral, she happened across the weaselly man. And, seeing what he could do, she quickly saw greater potential in the Faunus. With just a few orders, Sienna quickly managed to take over the areas the gang controlled, separating them and, with nowhere else to go, Nezumi found a new purpose in the White Fang. At first it all felt wrong, but as he took on more work, he grew an appreciation for Sienna that soon turned into a hardened loyalty and respect. She had saved him from his own twisted mindset, allowing him to now put his energy into something productive. Something that actively benefitted his kind, which only became more true once he managed to join the ranks of the Red Talons.

And then… it happened. The Faunus remembered it fondly, the day when Sienna died. He didn't know what else to do, he began to panic as he tried to contact as many of the Red Talons as he could, desperate to preserve her memory, determined to get revenge! But as soon as he set out the message, the first response shook his conviction.

'Most people are just going to go with the group, you know? Besides, I've got a gig to do. Adam probably won't even last, so most of us will wait it out a bit to see if he can run things well or not.

\- Usagi'

Nothing filled Nezumi with more rage than knowing she was probably right… and, as the others went with Adam more and more, then they'd also grow complacent to his murderous reign! What would become of Sienna's memory then?! Her legacy?! After Usagi, the other replies began to come in.

'I like my job.

\- Tora'

'I know better than to bet too riskily, I'm playing this one safe.

\- Hebi'

'I admire Adam's ways, I bet he'll give me more free-reign!

\- Buta'

'It might be a good time to awaken myself again and rejoin. Never cared much for Sienna. Nor for you, for that matter.

\- Hitsuji'

All seemed lost! And then, right as Nezumi was about to give up….

'I never cared much for cheats, and I suspect that Sienna's daughter might return. So, shall we place our bets on a rightful heir?

\- Doragon'

Before he could get too carried away, Nezumi was suddenly brought back to reality by the sounds of someone entering the room below him as they began messing around with the floorboards. Ohh? Really now? Were they attempting to hide something important? Doragon, you really were amazing at this. Could this be your Semblance, perhaps? Or just a natural gift of sorts? Either way, the assassin stealthily made his move, both opening the tile and dropping down in an instant as his eyes flashed red, adjusting to the newfound light. His target, a man in a green outfit with a pink streak in their dark hair, could only flinch before they found themself being pressed against the side wall by the Faunus's shoulder while he forced a white cloth over their mouth.

For a second, the young man pulled out a pair of green guns with downwards blades attacked, but, before he could use them, the drug-soaked cloth quickly begun to take effect, forcing his body to begin to pass out. Such fancy weapons… were they a huntsman, perhaps? Then they must have been one of the ones Watts had been after. Which would mean…. As Nezumi glanced over at what they were hiding, he quickly put the scenario together. So they were trying to hide the Relic here? Of all places? Of course they'd grow desperate, they probably did this in a panic, too. Watts had warned his associates that someone he knew would probably tip them off. But it didn't matter how prepared they might have been, regardless of how strong someone's Aura is they can't protect their lungs from the very air they breathe!

The suit-wearing Faunus gave a twisted grin as his target struggled to remain conscious. "Resilient, aren't you?" Nezumi muttered. "Don't worry, we've already got a hostage. No need to make you suffer as an extra mouth to feed, right?"

Before the Faunus could continue, the Huntsman suddenly managed to pull the triggers of his weapons, causing the guns to loudly fire in a continued burst! Surprised, the rodent man let go of his target for a second as Ren, the Huntsman, jerked away and fell to the ground, dazed as he began coughing uncontrollably. As Ren looked up, he saw a flash of blood staining the Faunus's shirt before the blonde man's grin widened.

"Think you have me figured out?! You don't know jack, bub!" In an instant, Nezumi pulled his shirt open, revealing several large clear pouches of red Dust strapped to his body with several wires haphazardly stuck in seemingly random directions! "I am Nezumi the Rat, and I am not afraid to die!" A maniacal, snickering, chuckle escaped the madman. "I guess you're the cornered one now, CAT!"

With the flick of a button, Ren tried his best to form his Aura in the intense situation, but before he could realize what had happened, he was blinded with a sudden blinding light. And then, a fleeting instant later, Ren was struck with the full force of the blast.

A moment later, Ruby and her team would find nothing of value left in the restroom. Only a small crater formed where it once was and a set of drag marks leading away from the scene. At the end of the sudden chain of events, Ren had been defeated. Somehow, despite the shocking turn of events that day, both Ren and Nezumi would live on to be used as pawns in the war against Ospin… a valuable move in the name of Watts's new alliance.


	10. Rising Pressure

Part 10

-Rising Pressure-

Confidently, Lilly pointed at her opponent before quickly flicking her wrist to point downwards in an overly showy motion with a widening grin as she stared Ruby down, the two of them both standing on a flat rooftop in preparation of the other's moves. "So, you're Ruby Rose of Beacon, right?" The blonde woman mused in a taunting voice. "Must be nice relying on a fancy gadget like that. Too bad it's not going to save you from being taken out-" Her wrist swiftly flicked again as the fighter suddenly pointed to herself with her thumb. "BY ME! Lilly of the Tiger-Style Fist! Tell me, how much did you pay for that hunk of junk, ehh? You've got moves, I'll give you that, but seeing runts think their hot stuff because they've got some overly-complicated gimmicky toy ticks me off!" Her smile shifted into a sly smirk as Lilly pointed her closed fist at her opponent. "The only thing I'll need to beat you is this fist right here… ya get that?!"

With renewed determination, Ruby glared right back into her opponent's eyes. "You've got it wrong!" She shouted suddenly, catching the brawler off-guard for a moment. "A Huntress's weapon isn't some toy or some thing to just buy, my scythe is my partner!" With a quick swing, the Huntsman twirled her scythe from behind her back, holding the blade in front of her at an angle to show off the entirety of the tool as she prepared to strike. "Crescent Rose! That's its name! Made by my own hands, piece by piece, as all of us at Beacon do! Our weapons aren't just objects, we put our souls into them and they rely on us just as much as we rely on them. And that trust makes both of us better for it!"

Before either of them could continue, they were suddenly interrupted by the roar of a deafening explosion as both fighters immediately twisted their heads around towards the source of the noise. Ruby's eyes could only widen in shock at the sight of the blast focused around the back room of the tavern. "Ren…." She muttered, her mind racing at the possibility. He made it out of that, right? Ren… he was okay… right?

"Rat bastard!" Lilly suddenly shouted as she glared at the smoking section of the building with an intense rage, gritting her teeth as she forced her eyes closed. "Damnit… damnit, damnit! What the heck?! I can't believe- He was serious about the bomb thing?!" A frustrated, forced, snarling sound escaped the blonde woman as her fists tightened at her sides, her arms shaking with a mix of anger and some sense of disbelief. "It wasn't meant to be like this! We were supposed to just take them alive or run, not freaking THIS!"

Immediately, Ruby turned back to face the woman in surprise. "What do you mean?!" She suddenly shouted back in a burst of emotion. "You people are working for Salem! Why WOULDN'T you expect this?! Didn't you hear what she did to Beacon?! What she did to my friends?!" The huntress stopped for a moment as she took a gasping breath to try and calm herself. "Salem is pure evil, and she'll do whatever she needs to do to win! We don't have time to play games with someone like that, my uncle's life is on the line! And… and now…. Ren…."

For a moment, Ruby's words seemed to reach Lilly as the brawler glanced over at the girl in red with what almost seemed like fear before she suddenly tilted her head down, shadows obscuring her face as she frowned, lost in thought over something. And then, completely unprompted, Ruby extended her hand. "Please…." The Huntress simply stated. "You don't have to work for them… you can help us stop Salem from hurting people like this! You could help save people!"

Slowly, Lilly's frown widened before she gritted her teeth into a pained grimace. "Screw you!" She suddenly shouted, turning to angrily glare at Ruby. "Just screw all of you! It's easy enough for you to say now, but I'm not like that! This stuff doesn't bother me at all! Not one bit! Under-stannd?!" After quickly wiping her face with her sleeve, the brawler shot one final glance at her enemy. "I never betray a client. But this… it's just killed the mood. That's all! We'll meet again…." Without any further words, Lilly turned around and, putting all her strength on her right foot, quickly turned around and launched herself off the roof into the distance.

For a moment Ruby considered going after her but, before she could, she stopped herself. It wasn't worth it, Ren and the others came first! Without a second of hesitation, Ruby turned away from where her opponent had fled and activated her semblance, spiraling towards the tavern as fast as she could. Ren… Nora… please be okay! After everything that happened, everyone needed some good news for once!


	11. Cats and Dragons

Part 11

-Cats and Dragons-

"Nora…" Ruby's voice echoed. "Are you sure about this? You could get injured or…."

"Don't worry. Just point me in their direction and give me a heading. If it means saving Ren, my body can take it. And don't worry, I'll make sure to just break their legs!"

Off in the distance, as the buildings began to grow scarcer and scarcer, Lilly had finally managed to slip away from the enemy group. Moving so far so quickly had used up a lot of aura, but it was worth it. As she glanced up, the brawler finally spotted Doragon, a woman with long dark hair and fair skin. Her long bangs were swept over her left eye, leaving only her brown right one exposed, while she wore a black outfit featuring holes to reveal her shoulders, long open sleeves going down to her wrists, and a black dress that extended down to her ankles. But, most notably, was what she was carrying over her shoulder… a man in green with a pink streak in his dark hair.

"Your name is Lilly, right?" The woman in black began in a sleek, southing, voice as she tilted her head around to directly address the mercenary. Her teeth showing themselves as pointed fangs as she talked. "Tell me, did our master waste money on you? I expected you'd be able to take out at least one of them after the Nezu exploded, and yet there's not a single spec of blood on you! Tell me, are all humans so concerned about… cleanliness?"

Immediately, the martial artist clenched her fists and looked down, fully realizing where this was heading. "Listen, I did my best, okay? I… I did what I could. But, between all three of them…."

An almost melodic sigh escaped the fanged woman as she brushed some stray strands of hair out of her face before nodding her head in disapproval. "Oh, Lilly, you really have nothing else to say? Does your Scroll not still work?" Doragon's pupils seemed to dilate intensely, forming a subtle but distinctive slit for anyone looking directly into the muddy depths of her exposed right eye. "You really are an idiot. Not only did you fail to capture or kill any of them, you couldn't even be bothered to hide out and wait for another chance to strike. The rest of the group consists of, what? Three Huntsmen and a child, according to Watts's Drones? Could you not even take on a kid and two novice Huntresses on your own? Meanwhile, even someone as tactless as Nezumi managed to give me the perfect chance to bag this… fair specimen…."

Immediately, Lilly exploded in anger. "Don't insult him!" She shouted out of nowhere as she glared directly at the Faunus in black. "I don't even know him, but you are talking about someone who died for your group! Someone who died for this stupid mission! That's not something to laugh over, he gave literally everything for you! For ALL OF US! He's- He was-!"

"A clone." The woman coldly responded as Lilly immediately reeled in surprise. "Yes, you heard me right," Doragon continued, "that's his Semblance. Nezumi is able to create auraless copies of himself, the Nezu, as he calls them. Their lives are completely useless, but I suppose you never considered that option, did you? Nor did you consider what would happen if you were being followed somehow." A hollow breath escaped the Faunus as she briefly shook her head, holding her face with her free hand. "It really is sad… once all's said and done, what use have you really been? We'd be better off without you." Before the fighter could react, Doragon had already casually tossed Ren to the blonde woman as she quickly struggled to catch him. "Make yourself useful, okay, darling?" The faunus continued as she reached into her right sleeve and began equipping a weapon that appeared to resemble a segmented gauntlet with four lengthy claws, one for each major finger. "Take that man back to the base. It appears that I may need to clean up after your mess, fake kitty cat. Don't worry, though, with what poison's in his veins he won't wake up until we're good and ready."

Almost instinctively, Lilly growled as she began taking the man away, as instructed. If there was anything the brawler hated the most, it was condescending people like her. The type that just openly looks down on other people like they're below them while shouting orders like nobody else can really think for themselves. And, as bad as it was, the worst part was that she couldn't even just walk away from this job. Not with how badly the last few ones had gone. If only she stood her ground like normal, then everything would have ended up fine! However, before she could finish this thought, Lilly quickly glanced up as she noticed a small but fast light in the sky approaching their destination. Huhh… that didn't seem normal at all. In a decisive moment, the blonde woman glanced at Ren's unconscious body before looking back over at the path further down the mountain, towards the base and away from whatever was approaching.

… Yeah, all things considered, today seemed like a pretty good day to simply run away for a change…. And so Lilly did.

As Doragon finished strapping on her single gauntlet, she quickly shoved three vials of Dust under the back end of it before looking up at the sky. Her body was suddenly filled with terror as she realized what she was seeing was a humanoid form, one that was approaching swiftly. And, right as she raised her arm in defense, the figure instantly crashed down into the ground, a trail of lightning streaking behind it as dust and debris were kicked up from its impact, leaving a small crater where it landed. As the woman in black stared on, the person before her seemed to be glowing with electric energy, sending small rogue bolts of lightning flying out in random directions as their sillouette, glowing through the cloud of dust around them, slowly stood up straight.

With a swing of their hammer, the clouds of dirt around them suddenly cleared, their off-hand holding several loose Dust Rounds before they suddenly crushed the bullets in their fist, resulting in a sudden small blast of electricity before their body quickly absorbed the energy, causing a second wave of force to flow through them, raw lightning shooting straight up from them as if they were hit by a stray thunderbolt as the person took a powerful, electrified, step forward, electricity shooting from their show as their glowing body was cloaked in pure energy, their hair stood up on end into spikes as a pair of glowing eyes stared at their target, lightning freely zipping off of them in an unrestrained expression of focused rage.

While Arthur Watts's reports could be spotty at times, the name of the figure before the Faunus was obvious. "Norra!?" She exclaimed in confusion at the empowered monster in human form before her.

Hesitantly, Doragon raised her claw as her mind raced to find a way to stop something that she could already tell she wouldn't be able to normally defeat.

Taking Ren was a dangerous mistake, for it created an animal of pure destruction.

Now, Nora the Thunderbeast was upon them.


	12. Path of the Storm

Part 12

-Path of the Storm-

Over my many travels, I have determined that a person's Semblance is undoubtedly a reflection of their personality and mindset, what a person wants, who they are, how they think and what they value, all of these things work together to determine what their Semblance will be to suit their individual personality and needs. It has even been determined that this is true for even those with multiple personality disorder, in my studies I have found that no matter how radically someone changes they will always only have one Semblance. However, this does not mean that a person who undergoes great change will not also change in their Semblance, instead, they'll simply find new ways to use their existing Semblance to suit their current mindset and needs. For future studies, I shall name this phenomenon "Semblance Evolution", the process of a Semblance changing or gaining new uses within its parameters over time. And yet, in my current travels, I have been unable to discover why my own Semblance has failed to resurface ever since I began switching bodies. I can only hope that one day, my own desires will awaken a Semblance specifically for undoing my own curse, but, more likely, it is possible that the bodies I take already have their Semblance 'set'. That because they don't match my specific mind and will, I am unable to access any Semblance the body may form. But this is merely a hypothesis, more research into cognitive identity disorders must be done before coming to a proper conclusion.

Electricity crackled around Nora's body as lightning focused into a set spot of her forehead, sparking off in a shape that seemed similar to a single, straight, horn as the Huntress began to raise her hammer, her body twitching as she struggled to control her own power.

In less than a second, Doragon realized what this was. So that's why it wasn't in the records, this was something new for the hammer-user. Her usual Semblance was to manipulate lightning, but by overcharging it, her Semblance had to expand and change, it was actively trying to find a way to deal with the pressures she was putting it through. Nora would have to either evolve or die.… So… why don't we make that choice easier for her? A smug smile crossed the Faunus's face as she flicked the wrist of her gauntlet as a small barrel emerged from the underside of her hand before it quickly fired out several small pellets that exploded as they landed next to Nora's feet, releasing a thick swirling cloud of purple gas!

"Unfortunately, my poison isn't that effective against people with an aura since your body will naturally use Aura to heal itself…" The woman in black began, slowly twisting a ring at the wrist of her gauntlet with her left hand until it clicked twice in response. "But you're still going to use up aura to stop the poison. Oh, but also-!" Suddenly, as a stray bit of electricity shot through the air just right, the toxic gas ignited, causing a sudden explosion all around Nora that cleared the gas immediately, leaving a black mass of smoke behind! Instinctively, the Huntress swung her weapon, whipping up a fearsome gust of wind to clear the smoke as lightning flashed off her arm from the move, but before Nora could think, she glanced down to see her opponent quickly approaching her from a low, crouched, stance!

Doragon's eyes sharpened as she blindly swung with her clawed arm, homing in on her real target. Usually for this strategy, she used her own dust pellets to do the igniting, but this worked all the same. But, still, she had this entire situation figured out! It was obvious that Nora was using electric dust rounds to charge herself up and she probably had more in reserve. So, all the Faunus had to do was swipe the spare rounds from the Huntress and wait for her effect to run out! And this was where her own Semblance came into play: Good Fortune! While actively focusing, Doragon could use a set amount of 'good luck' each day to make sure a guess is correct. So, now, all she had to do was go for where she thought the spare rounds might be and fate would guide her to the right place!

Suddenly, the force of Nora's hammer smashed into the ground next to the woman in black as lightning blasted off of the point of impact before a shockwave erupted from the hit, slamming into the Faunus as she was forced flying back before tumbling end over end across the earth below before she finally managed to land on her feet, sliding back with a heavy gasp of air. "OH GOD-!" Doragon violently huffed out of shock as she stared at her opponent, energy flowing around them as their body seemed to glow. This person was definitely dangerous… however, as the Faunus looked down at the bullets she'd managed to steal, her eyes lighting up at the sight as a sinister grin crossed her face for a moment. It worked. The advantage was now hers!

…. Still, though, that was one heck of a glancing blow. If Nora had actually made contact, she might have lost her aura instantly. Without hesitating, Doragon turned around and began to run from her opponent. A strategic escape. With how much electricity the Huntress was putting off, it wouldn't be long at all until she ran out of juice. And then, once she was out, the effort from keeping up such a powerful form would catch up to her. Then, as long as the assassin still had aura, taking out a simple weakened Huntress would be child's play!

"Come, sparky~" The snake-woman chimed over her shoulder as Nora crouched over, preparing to give chase. "I'll show you why you never start a fight with your Last Resort. Even a fool could read you like a book right now!"


	13. Path of the Storm (2)

Part 13

-Path of the Storm (2)-

The crackling of thunder could be heard smashing through the air as Doragon managed to dodge another attack, flipping backwards before firing a quick exploding Dust round at Nora, exploding in her face as she powered through it, eyes raging wildly as she forced her body forward with lightning rippling off of her muscles, her arms twitching in pain as she swiftly caught up with Doragon and swung her hammer to the side, only for her opponent to just barely duck under it with a surprised expression as she tried yet again to gain some distance only for Nora to twitch in place for a moment before closing most of the distance yet again!

As she barely managed to get away again, a bead of sweat dripped from the Faunus's forehead as she took a few deep breaths. This was insane! It was clear that the red haired woman was struggling to move, her own power was a detriment to her in this fight! And yet she refused to ever stop fighting! Just how much Aura can one person have to deal with this much abuse?! Just how far was she willing to go?!

Right as she had started questioning her strategy, the woman in black suddenly froze in shock as Nora seemed to be losing her charge. The hammer user fell to one knee as the horn-shaped concentration of electricity fizzled out, shortly followed by all the lightning surrounding her collectively disappearing in one flowing flash of blue light. As her hair fell back into place, the glow from Nora's eyes quickly disappeared, her aura fizzling out with a shimmer of green light as one word escaped her…. "Ren…"

A slow sigh of relief escaped Doragon. "So that's it, right?" She calmly uttered, catching her breath for a moment. "You really cared about him, didn't you? Ren, that is. Even if you're just a human, I can respect that. You've put up a good fight. If you hadn't started going all out, you probably would have won, too." A slight laugh escaped the woman in black as she slowly began to walk towards her foe. "It's odd. I'm always taking people out from the shadows, so I rarely get a chance to face someone head-on like this. I'm not quite fond of it, either…. But because of that, it's hard to gauge the strengths of those I kill. However, despite that, I feel certain that you might be the strongest among them."

The woman's brown eyes flickered as her pupils shrunk into thin slits. "You just might be the most worthy prey I've ever taken out." The Faunus acknowledged with a smile. "I've never taken pride in my kills, necessarily. They've just been jobs for me. But this was rather exciting, so it only makes sense for you to be an exception, doesn't it? Please don't take this as an insult, I hold no hatred for you at all. If anything, take what I'm about to do as the opposite of that, my little thundercloud~"

As Doragon raised her clawed hand with a wicked grin, she slid her left foot forward before swinging down at the Huntress's head in a vicious chop! But, before her attack could hit, she saw a slight glint of light in her opponent's mouth.

No… how could I have overlooked something so simple…. I managed to swipe the rounds from her left pocket. But, I was so preoccupied with how dangerous she was that I never thought about her having any rounds in her right one!

A sudden burst of intense electricity blasted from Nora as she bit down on the dust round as hard as she could to activate it! Large blue towers of pure energy flew from the ground around her, exploding outward in multiple directions as Nora quickly transformed back into her empowered state! With a single burst of energy, the assassin was thrown off-balance and was unable to complete her attack! "Giiivvveeee…."

Doragon flinched for an instant as Nora's hammer suddenly smashed into her right shoulder! Lightning burst from the point of impact, cutting through the air as electricity crackled across Nora's arms, slicing across her flesh with a sudden flicker of blood as the Huntress followed through with the attack, immediately forcing the Faunus down into the ground as a second crackling flash of lightning flew from the point of impact! "Reeeeennnnnn….!"

Suddenly, electricity flickered across Nora's off-hand as the assassin's aura fizzled out, leaving the red-haired Huntress to shove her hand down at the woman, her energized arm flashing red for a moment as her arm was wounded and then instantly cauterized with her own power. "BAACCCCKKKK!"

Smoke slowly rose from the resulting crater as the Huntress's hair fell back down, a red bloody area clearly visible on her forehead as red lines were seen across her eyes and arms. Her left hand still bleeding as she gasped for air, simply kneeling over the unconscious body of her recent opponent. Nora's eyes forced themselves shut as she continued huffing in exhaustion, the battle finally over. And yet… despite this, despite her victory… this wasn't really a win. It changed nothing. Ren… he was still in their possession. And now… now…

Slowly, Nora's body leaned to the side before eventually slumping over. With only two rounds left, she wouldn't be saving anyone anytime soon. Especially not in this condition. For now, all she could do was believe in Ruby. Between Ruby, Weiss, and Ozpin, they'd be able to save Ren and Qrow for sure. She just knew it.


	14. A Brief Interlude

Part 14

-A Brief Interlude-

As Nora finally regained consciousness, she awoke to see Ruby carefully poking her. "Ah!" Ruby suddenly uttered as she turned around to the rest of the team. "She's alright, guys! She's awake!"

Slowly, the hammer user began to sit up, her body shaking as she held her head in pain. "There's no time for this…" Nora muttered with a gasping groan. "You need to…. Find…."

"Stop." Weiss suddenly demanded as she crossed her arms with a confident smirk. "Don't push yourself, it turns out we've got more time than we thought." Weiss's plan was simple. With her Semblance, Weiss was capable of summoning an Aura Companion in the form of a Lancer, a bee-like Grimm. And since this Summon was made from her Aura, Weiss was capable of adjusting its size at will while also being able to track it within a specific range. Knowing this, she had been able to plant the Summon on the blonde woman during the explosion and, with how reckless she'd been, Lilly would never notice something the size of a fly casually clinging to her. With this information, they had been able to give Nora a heading to catch up to them with, but… unfortunately, they never knew Lilly would have backup to help her get away.

"I felt the Lancer moving at extremely high speeds in a straight line." The white haired huntress continued. There was only one conclusion she could draw from something like that. "I thought it was weird, so once the Summon left my range and disappeared, we checked it out. There's a set of transport trains… Grimm-based ones. It must be how these guys were able to take Qrow so far away so quick. Lilly must have taken one of them, but she left the other one behind… it must be like that just in-case one of them stopped working right. And, even better, Doragon had a spare key. If I had to guess, they must have thought either one being defeated was equally possible. You know what that means, right?"

Nora glanced over at her opponent's tied-up body for a moment before turning back to the others.

Ruby gave a nod of approval as Nora came to the same realization. "You did good, Nora. Thanks to you, we're going to be able to save everyone! We'll be able to make it to Qrow no problem and we'll be able to get to Ren out of there almost as soon as they get him into that place! You really managed to be a huge help to everyone!"

As she tried to stand, Nora's leg quickly gave out on her, forcing her to fall back to the ground almost immediately. Her eyes fell on her burned hand before she forced them shut to try and keep from crying. No, this wasn't the time for it…. She had to remain strong! She had to be strong for everybody! "Ruby," Nora began, "I don't think I can recover in time. I overdid it… I… I couldn't save him after all…. So just leave me behind. The longer we stay here… the longer-!"

Before she could continue, Ruby simply put her hand on the woman's shoulder. Instinctively, the orange haired woman's eyes re-opened, shooting up to meet Ruby's cheery smile. "You've done more than enough, Nora! Don't worry. The next time you see us, he'll be safe and sound. That's a Ruby Rose guarantee!"

With a slight nod, Nora closed her eyes again as she quickly fell asleep to regain her strength as Ruby carefully removed her hand. As Weiss considered trying to intervene, Ruby suddenly stood up before turning back to Weiss and Oscar, her eyes piercing through the air with renewed determination directly towards their destination. Nora… you've done your part…. Now it's time for the rest of us to do our part in this.

After a short trek, the three of them found their way around the mountain to the underground tunnel Weiss had discovered. Before them were two sets of tracks, one empty with the other housing a large black, square, subway-like train covered in wrinkled flesh with bone-like plates covering its back, going along several sections of the creature all the way up to its insect-like head. While it was build more like a machine than a Grimm, it seemed to bear a distinct caterpillar-like feel to its anatomy as it slowly breathed, awaiting new orders.

As he looked at it, Oscar could only sign. "I know we need to use this thing, but… really?" With a sigh, the child made his way into the vehicle, picking a cozy leather subway-like seat next to the entrance as Ruby and Weiss followed close behind, both of them settling into similar seats while Weiss shoved a small key into a side-slot built into the wall next to the doorway.

As the Grimm seemed to awaken in response, all three of the adventurers mentally braced themselves for what was to come. This was the only way forward and they knew there would be no return until their mission was complete. They would have to either save Qrow and Ren in victory, or they'd be killed or captured as well in complete defeat. To them, there was no middle ground between the two outcomes. Whatever happened would undeniably end up being decisive for either side.


	15. Short Ride in a Large Grimm

Part 15

-Short ride in a Large Grimm-

Shortly after the train started moving, Ruby spoke up. "So what are we going to call this thing?" She randomly began, cheerfully, as Weiss just looked back in confusion. "You know," the Huntress continued, "the Grimm. I'm thinking it's like a caterpillar, but it's a subway, right? So what about… the Underpillar! Because it's underground!"

"Ruby…." Weiss quietly muttered as she shook her head for a moment. "We've been through a lot together, I've been through a lot tonight, and there's absolutely nobody I'd ever trust as much as you. So I can tell you with complete honesty that that's not a great name."

The dark haired woman crossed her arms and nodded her head a few times in response. "And do you have any alternatives?"

The sword user simply sat still for a moment, lost in thought, as she tried to think of a better Grimm name before, finally, coming out and admitting the truth. "I'll have to think it over, but once I do come up with something it'll definitely be better than 'Underpillar'. That's a guarantee!"

"I don't know," Oscar openly murmured, "I actually kind-of like Underpillar. It just feels right… not that it matters much anyways…." A heavy sigh escaped the boy as he slowly looked down. "Not much really matters now, anyways. Even now, Ozpin wants to talk to you. Must be important, huh?" Before anyone could say anything, the child's eyes flashed as Ozpin took over. "Sorry for that, Oscar." He stated to himself. "But while we have time, we need to take a moment to recount what we know and strategize." Ozpin then made Oscar turn his head towards the other two, one at a time, before continuing. "So, you remember the timeline of events, correct? Remembering might help us notice anything we may have potentially missed."

"Hmmm…." Ruby muttered for a brief second. "Well, first Qrow was taken, right? But I don't think he'd go down without a fight. He must have faced someone skilled."

Weiss closed her eyes before shaking her head. "Not necessarily." She admitted. "I was there, Qrow was pretty drunk, but he at least seemed confident. If I stayed behind, he might have been able to win…." Before she could get distracted, the woman pushed the thought aside. "On another note, I'm afraid I was unable to get any information on the attacker. The note was signed by Jack Holmes, but for all we know it could be anyone, right?"

"Right!" Ruby acknowledged as she sat up sharply. "We won't know who his real attacker is until we meet them. For all we know, it might even be Cinder again." The huntress stopped to scratch her head at the thought for a moment. "… Actually, that feels unlikely…. Cinder might not even still be around, right? And if there's one thing I know about her, it's that she's tricky. I don't know for sure, but I don't think she would ever be careless enough to let someone like Weiss escape. And I don't think Qrow would be enough of a problem to keep her from being able to follow her, right?"

Ozpin tapped his cane on the ground as he stood up through Oscar's body. "I believe that to be the case." He admitted. "However, with so many unknowns at work, it's hard to rule out any possibilities. All we can say for sure is that Qrow most likely kept them occupied long enough for Weiss to escape. And then after that?"

Weiss turned her head away for a moment before forcing herself to respond. "After that, Ren went into that bar. And that's when that blonde woman, Lilly, attacked me." Her hand clenched into a fist as she spoke, trying to keep her own frustration over the fight from showing.

Immediately, the scythe-user chimed in. "Right, I almost forgot you fought with her." Ruby responded before leaning forward towards Weiss. "So what was her fighting style like? I remember she had a thing against weapons, but I didn't clash with her long enough to really learn anything. Her Aura seemed pretty tough when I kicked her, though."

"I'm not so sure…." Weiss replied, holding her hand up to her chin in thought. "There seems to be some form of trick to it. At some point in the fight I managed to cut her and her wound didn't immediately heal. At least, I think I cut her… she was ruthless, constantly on the offensive and once she managed to grab me, there wasn't much I could do. If I didn't manage send her flying, she probably would have won."

Ozpin nodded his head in approval. "Excellent analysis." He stated, moving his hands behind his back as he slipped into 'lecture mode'. "It's not surprising you've never heard of the mechanics behind it. As Huntresses, you've been training to fight Grimm, but we never suspected you'd have to deal with Martial Arts. By learning to section off their aura, it can be made to be stronger on one part of their body at the cost of leaving other parts of their body exposed. With that in mind, when you meet her again, a few well-placed rounds from Crescent Rose would be able to put her down if you predict where she's focusing her aura."

"I suppose that's true." Ruby admitted in an almost dreary tone. "But… if I do that… then there's a chance she might die, right? I mean, if I hit her in the wrong place, it could really hurt her." After a moment, the huntress stood up as she made her declaration. "I'm not going to let anyone die on this mission! We're here to save Ren and Qrow, not to become killers! If I have to fight Lilly, then I'll beat her without shooting her with Crescent Rose. That's a fact!"

Oscar's eyes pierced through Ruby for a moment before Ozpin finally responded. "It might not be possible, Ruby. You understand that, correct? The world of Huntsmen favors those who can think fast while holding nothing back. These aren't friendly sparring matches, we're going to be in direct opposition to hardened killers." However, before he could get too serious, Oscar's expression suddenly lightened as Ozpin continued. "The path you want to walk will not be an easy one, Ruby, but I can tell your mind's been made up. So I'm going to choose to trust you'll make the right choice when the time comes…. Just be wary of being tied to one unwavering mindset. Flexible thinking can make or break a Huntsman in a fight."

After breathing a heavy sigh, Ruby finally responded. "Thanks for understanding, at least."

Suddenly, Weiss interrupted. "Well to get us back on-track!" She almost shouted to try and break the tension. "That's when they got Ren, right? There was an explosion of some kind, but I was outside at the time, so I couldn't have known what happened." The white haired woman closed her eyes in thought for a moment. "I think it was at the back of the bar, though, right? Wasn't that where Ren was?"

Ruby simply sat down as she recalled the scene. "Yeah, it was definitely in that area." She openly declared, pausing afterwards to try and remember how exactly things played out. "Actually, when it happened, Lilly seemed to react to it, I think. I remember her saying something about a bomb and some 'rat' thing? Or maybe she was calling someone a rat? Maybe they planted a trap? But how would they know we're coming?"

"Maybe it was a Semblance?" Weiss uttered, throwing out the first idea that came to mind. "Or maybe they had someone watching us before?" With a shrug, the Huntress quickly moved on from the topic. "Either way, it doesn't really matter now. Unless they're expecting the woman Nora beat to be on this train, they're going to know we're coming for them. Still, though, it's good that you remembered that, Ruby, because now we know that they definitely do have someone who specializes in bombing and they might be waiting for us."

"Right!" The scythe-user suddenly snappily responded! "And then I gave Nora some electric rounds and she beat one of them bad! And now…." Slowly, the dark haired woman glanced across the cabin at what few members they had left. "Humph…." She murmured to herself. Suddenly, Ruby turned back to Oscar. "Uhh… Ozpin… do you really think we can do this? If Oscar doesn't let you fight again, then… well, that's me and Weiss against Lilly, the kidnapper, and maybe the bomber. That seems kind-of…."

After swinging his cane around a few times, Ozpin began pacing around as he talked. "Yes, you're indeed correct there. If we brought the full group with us on this mission then we might have an easier time. However, it's impossible to say for sure. Our smaller group may have caused the enemy to act rashly, to make moves they wouldn't normally attempt to make, if you will. But, remember, we are on a rescue mission." Eagerly, Oscar pointed his cane at Ruby. "If you use your speed, you could prioritize rescuing Qrow. That would go a long way towards making up any number disadvantage." He then spun his cane around before pointing it at Weiss. "Meanwhile, your summon and Dust techniques will have to keep the enemy at bey. It's a tough job, but I believe you can do it. Are we in agreement then?"

"Leave it to me!" Ruby excitedly shouted with an exaggerated fist-pumping motion while Weiss calmly nodded her head with a smile. This would definitely be a difficult battle, but it'd be over soon enough. All they needed to do was wait for the Underpillar to reach its destination, which, based on its current speed, should take less than a day's travel. The rescue of their friends was close at hand! For now, all they could do was prepare themselves for what was to come.


	16. Adam

Part 16

-Adam-

'Hey Yang! Will be able to save Qrow way faster than we thought. Currently riding the Underpillar!

\- Ruby'

'What's an Underpillar? Is that a new Grimm? Kind-of dig the name

\- Yang'

'Wait, you're RIDING this thing?

\- Yang'

'HA! In your face, Weiss! Knew the name was good!

\- Ruby'

'Sorry, no time to explain, Ozpin's talking strategy and he's starting to ask tough questions

\- Ruby'

'K, good luck. Tell Ren and Norra I said hi!

\- Yang'

As Yang put her Scroll away, she quickly took note of her fellow team members. Sun, Blake, Ilia, and Jaune. Even without knowing what Ilia could do, this was still a pretty solid group. Her hands naturally rested behind her head as she casually followed the others. "It shouldn't be too far away, should it?" The huntress asked. They were already at the outskirts of town, but this was a bit crazy. This pilot they hired better be good to put them through all of this.

Blake's ears twitched at the question. "We should be close, actually." As she turned to face Yang, her eyes slowly widened. The Faunus's body froze, and, as she stopped in shock, one by one the others quickly noticed before all turning towards what she was facing, leaving all of them speechless except for one feint word from Blake…. "You-"

Without any warning, Adam was standing around 20 feet away. His face, now maskless, showed no deformities or scars, only a set of pink eyes that stared at the group with some conflicted intent. Behind him stood a short, young, man dressed in a long sleeved black coat zipped up to his neck with a head full of poofy white hair with goat-like horns and a set of yellow eyes framed behind a set of square glasses. But, before anyone could muster the strength to react, Adam suddenly made the first move. As the white haired man took a few steps back to give him room, Adam suddenly dropped to his knees, putting his hands on the ground as he bowed to the others.

"Blake…. Please, forgive me…."

The five Huntsmen immediately ran through a variety of shock and anger before Blake finally spoke up. "No, Adam. It's over."

Adam forced his head down harder as his body shook with frustration. "Please, Blake… I- I've done everything for you! But-" His voice growled, struggling to find the right words. "I take it back! I take it all back, Blake! Everything!" Tears streamed down his face as the swordsman forced himself to look up and face the others. "Just say what I need to do to make things right! I'll help you fight Salem! I- I can be an asset! Anything you want!"

"I said NO, Adam!" The woman shouted back sharply, her hands curling into fists as she glared down at the man with an intense hatred, her emotions quickly reaching a boiling point as the man could simply shudder at her determination. "No. I am done with you. It's over, Adam. Finished. It's done. I don't want to ever see you again. Not now, not ever, even if I'm dying on the ground the answer is still NO." Her eyes closed for a moment as Blake's fury began to soften a bit, if only out of relief that she finally got a chance to speak her mind once more.

Slowly, Adam's eyes scanned the group in front of him. Yang and her fake arm. Ilia, who he indirectly hurt so much with his actions. And Blake, the one he hurt most of all. Remorsefully, he wheezed a quick apology under his breath as Adam, still on his knees, slowly drew his blade and pointed it at his own chest. "I have nothing left, Blake… I…. The White Fang abandoned me! Salem's forces are turning against me! Please, Blake, just- Just say the word! If you at least tell me to end it all, then maybe I can just die knowing I've made things right! If you can just tell me to-"

"I said that's enough!" Blake practically screamed, her voice blaring out as loud as the Faunus could even muster. For a second, the woman took a step forward, causing Adam to squirm impulsively as he winced, almost as if expecting some attack that never came. Then, finally, Blake simply turned away from the man. "Crawl away, Adam. Leave all of us alone. Crawl away, find another town, and just stay there away from us, Salem, the White Fang, EVERYONE, and forget every single solitary thought you've ever even passingly had about me." After stopping to take a heavy breath, the Huntress finally finished. "It's over, Adam. Everyone else, come on. He's not even worth the attention…."

And, with that, Blake and the others surely began to walk away with nothing but a few cautious glances back to make sure that the man wasn't preparing to follow them as Adam stayed in his grounded position, tears still running down his face as his jaw hung open at a loss for words.

Awkwardly, the white haired man slowly approached the Faunus before patting the back of his head a few times. "I don't believe I've ever experienced love before, but even I think that was probably very unintentional, was it not, Adam?" The goat Faunus carefully adjusted his glasses before crossing his arms in thought. "You know, if required I can still use Shadow Hunt to follow them. Even though they outnumber us, I believe if I sabotaged their flight it would still give us a major advantage. In fact, the prospect of doing so would be quite the awakening experience since I've never attempted such a feat before."

"Don't, Hitsuji." Adam firmly stated in response before the red haired man eventually stood back on his feet. With one arm, the Faunus wiped away his tears before sheathing his sword with his other hand. "We respect her wishes…. We don't deal with team RWBY or re-join Salem."

Hitsuji simply nodded his head. "Right, of course." He admitted. "But as a member of the Red Talons, I could still be seen as part of the White Fang in some respects, so are you admitting you don't requite my assistance?"

"… No…" the Faunus breathed. "In fact, quite the opposite." Suddenly, a twisted, despicable, smile crossed the man's face as he began to come up with a whole new idea. "I'm going to give her a parting gift. The ultimate gift! I… no, we-! We are going to track down and murder a Maiden so that I'll gain her powers!" Adam quickly shoved his hand over his face as a wheezing, feint, crazed laugh escaped him for a brief moment. "And then… once I have the Maiden's powers…. I'll do it. Only then will I do it…! I'll end my life! And, in that instant, I'm going to make damned sure that my last thoughts are on my beloved! Whether she wants it or not, I'll personally make sure she has all the power she'll ever need, guaranteeing that she'll have no choice but to acknowledge me! I'll make sure that my death will ALWAYS be a part of her very existence, no matter the cost!"

With a quick nod of confirmation, Hitsuji randomly patted the red haired man's head once again. "Your hair's really soft, you know?" He muttered. "Yeah, I think I can get behind this plan. Your form of love interests me. Maybe I'd be interested in trying it out, too, one day, if it proves to be an enlightening experience." The man suddenly bowed respectfully. "Now please, Master Lord Adam, tell me where we shall search first and my Shadow Hunt will make it so. Perhaps we might even pick up Buta, I heard he does still favor you. Or we could always investigate rumors of the witch of the swamp, couldn't we? Although I find both options to be quite unfavorable…."


	17. Confrontation (1): All According to Plan

Part 17

-Confrontation (1): All According to Plan-

The ground began to shake as it suddenly opened up in a wide square-shaped passage that lead down at an angle. Then, in seemingly no time at all, Ruby and Weiss emerged from the entrance with Oscar following close behind them. The three of them stared ahead with determination as they stood right in front of their opponent's base, a fairly small shack-like building and, gazing right back at them in front of the front door, was Doctor Arthur Watts himself, cane in hand as he slowly began walking forward cautiously, but with confidence.

Oscar's eyes flashed yellow as Ozpin took over to speak first. "Watts. You wee the one who sent the letter, weren't you? I don't know how you've remained young all these years, but you must have changed greatly to feel like you need a fake name to draw us out."

Watts smirked as he tilted his head to the side, a glint of newfound life in his eye. "The pleasure's all yours, Oz… that is, if you can even still experience such things in your current 'condition'." A slight laugh escaped the man before he shifted his weight, now leaning forward with his hands behind his back as his grin quickly faded. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, Oz. I never sent you or any member of your little group any kind of letter. If this is some trick of yours, it's far beneath you, Ozpin."

"Wha-" Ruby uttered at the sudden revelation. "But if you didn't- Who the heck is Jack Holmes, then?!" She shouted in confusion.

Swiftly, Watts flicked his hand through his hair. "Oh, him?" He openly answered. "He used to be a mentor of sorts to me a few years back, but he disappeared to investigate something about Beacon a while ago. But that doesn't matter now…. I don't know what plan he was trying to set in motion, but Salem will be here soon enough."

"Salem?!" The dark haired woman shouted in surprise before Weiss quickly stepped in.

"Why would Salem be arriving here?" The sword-user asked in a serious tone.

After huffing a sign, the mustache'd man simply shook his head in disbelief. "Because I've been modifying Grimm for her, you idiots, trying to perfect her existing designs and bring them to even greater heights! But enough about that…." Suddenly, the man raised his cane to fight. "I should have more than enough time to get the location of the Relic from you before she arrives, after all, my new allies have confirmed that it's not where you pretended to hide it." With a smirk, Watts coldly focused his sights on Oscar. "If I had to guess, it's hidden somewhere on your person, isn't it, Oz? After all, you're too smart to have not considered my drones being a factor. There's no way you would have simply left it at the house."

Oscar simply nodded as Ozpin used the body to grasp his own cane with his off-hand behind his back in a fencing-style stance similar to Watts's own posture. "You always had a knack for knowing exactly what I was thinking, Arthur. As unfortunate as it is, you are correct." This was already turning bad! The plan would have to already change. While Weiss could theoretically keep Watts at bey, he knew who he had to target to secure what he wanted. While Ozpin had briefly trained the man back when he was teamed up with Salem, in his current state, Watts held the undeniable advantage in a physical fight.

The doctor's smile twisted into a wide grin as he quickly picked out his old friend's doubts. Oh, Ozpin, you were always so easy. You and I both know that you can't keep up with me in such a sad state! You always turned to stuff like this when you were backed into a corner, Oz! Now's my chance. "Of course you don't have to do this, Oz. You and I both know you can't win this fight? Stop this foolishness. Hand over the relic, ally yourself with me, and Salem will have no choice but to accept you and your students with open arms! We can be a team again, Oz, just like we used to be! And once we've re-united, I'm sure you'll be able to reason with her if you make a logical case."

Oscar's body slowly took a single step backwards. Of course he knew that he was outmatched here, there was no denying that. But, still, they came prepared for a situation such as this. "Ruby!" Ozpin shouted!

Suddenly, the dark haired huntress dashed forward on-command, her body spinning rapidly as her Semblance shot her forward with a burst of speed! This was it! Their one chance! Ozpin was counting on all of them! In an instant, Ruby zipped forward as Watts casually turned his torso to the side just slightly enough to let the woman pass by him without her running into his shoulder.

"Ahh, Oz…." The mustached man began in an already condescending tone. "You really are predictable to a fault, aren't you? And here I thought you'd know better than that! Try picking up some ideas from your students next time…" a sly grin crossed Watts's face as he locked eyes with Oscar's body for a fleeting instant. "Because doing the most optimal move possible? That's something I can always count on you for. That's why I planned my strategy around you doing the most efficient moves possible!"

As soon as Ruby burst through the door of the cabin, she returned to her normal form only to quickly be met with a sudden right punch to the back of the head, sending her flying across the room and crashing into the back bookshelf! The wooden framework exploded as the scythe-user smashed into it, sending books scattering across the floor as Ruby forced her eyes open to glance up as her attacker.

To her right was Lilly, already cracking her fists in excitement with her usual smug grin as, next to her in the doorframe, to the left, was a blonde rat-like man in a yellow suit, standing still with his arms crossed as four or five clones of himself waited behind him, all sneering with a mouth full of irregularly shaped teeth as they all copied the exact same post from different angles. And then, right as things seemed at their worst, something happened to potentially change the situation entirely.

"Nezumi!" Lilly quickly shouted to the blonde men, all of which raised their head simultaneously at the command. "Go help Watts take care of that annoying Dust-user, will ya?! This one, Ruby…? She's all mine!" The brawler swiftly swept her arm to the side as she pointed at herself with her thumb. "Her and me? We've got a score to settle, and I'm not letting you interfere with your dirty bombing crap again, you hear me?!"


	18. Confrontation (2): A Battle of Tricks

Part 18

-Confrontation (2): A battle of tricks-

With a snap of his fingers, Watts smiled as the dirt to his left and right began to shake before opening up in two distinctly square shapes as a pair of black Underdogs were raised up, both wearing silver helmets and visors over their heads connected to a pair of tanks on either side of the animals by flexible hoses. "I hope you're prepared, Oz! This is the strategy I used to defeat Qrow, lets see if you can fare better!"

Suddenly, the canine Grimm darted away, one moving to the right and the other to the left as they circled around to try and surround Weiss and Ozpin! But Weiss had been prepared for such a move. She knew that summoning her Semblance would take time and she understood that she needed to be prepared to fight. So, as the Underdogs got into position, the Huntress responded by mentally commanding her summon to fly out of her sleeve in its bug-sized form before quickly growing into a gigantic size as the white haired woman swiftly grabbed the hornet-shaped Grimm's leg to let it pull her into the air! "Now, Oz!"

In the heat of the moment, Watts picked out the Huntress's words, which forced his mind to immediately race to figure out what strategy they could possibly have, which caused the mustached man to quickly break formation to instead dash straight towards Oscar's body to keep Ozpin locked down and avoid whatever he had been ordered to do. However, as Watts's cane clashed with Ozpin's, his attention was swiftly distracted yet again as he noticed the light of Weiss's sigil flash! Immediately, the whole picture came together. "Clever girl…." The man muttered before quickly disengaging with Ozpin as he leaped into the air as close as he could get to Weiss right as she launched a barrage of beams of light at both of the Grimm and towards where Watts used to be standing.

A smirk crossed the doctor's face. You're smarter than I gave you credit for, huntress brat… she knew he'd be searching for any sign of their strategy to be used against them. And while she didn't know how he planned to attack, she probably recognized the type of Grimm he'd be using. So she was aware of their ranged potential. Which means that to try and throw him off, she tried to divert the doctor's attention towards Ozpin to make it seem like he had some secret way to deal with the Grimm to give herself a few seconds to get off a clean shot…. Or, at least, that seemed to be her plan. A simple bluff. However, while it worked for an instant, it only took a second or so for Watts to remember the powerless state Ozpin was currently in! And, unfortunately for her, the doctor had all the time in the world to use on mistakes and re-dos of his failed ideas!

As the lasers began to fire, Watts quickly noted their course before activating his own Semblance! Suddenly, the beams of light reversed direction as time began to move backwards, resuming right as Watts first left the ground! "Think you're clever, girl?!" The man shouted as his off-hand's fingers twitched in a set of directions, silently sending orders to his Grimm, who then dodges backwards and to the side, respectively, to dodge the oncoming barrage of lasers as Watts, himself, swung his cane to effortlessly knock the stray blasts headed his way aside while flying straight up towards his opponent!

Thinking fast, Weiss twisted her sword around to put up a quick black sigil to repel Watts, but as the man approached, he forcibly smashed his cane into the symbol, still forcing the Huntress to let go of her summon as the Underdogs immediately began blasting the giant wasp with fireballs until it quickly exploded in a cloud of flames and black smoke, its owner landing on the ground shortly after its demise only to be face-to-face with her opponent, once more, as the doctor slammed his weapon against her blade while falling in a downward strike that nearly knocked the woman over as she struggled to stand against his powerful blow!

In an instant, the situation turned from bad to terrible as the white haired woman was forced to use both hands to keep blocking the mustached man's one-handed cane attack! It was already clear that he overpowered her by a notable margin. And without her summon, there wasn't anything she could do in this stance unless she wanted to take the hit. A man who could command long-range Grimm at will through science and a Semblance that could rewind time to figure out their opponent's plans… no wonder Qrow struggled against someone like this!

Suddenly, Watt's face twisted into a grin as he let out a quick chuckle of delight. "Checkmate, Ozpin." He boldly declared as his Grimm opened their mouths in preparation to fire once again. "I think it's time for another one of my amazing Ultimatums! So how do you feel about this, good old Oz-boy?! Materialize the Relic or… I'll just kill the girl!" The man's smile widened as his eyes remained as cold as ever in the tense situation. "I have nothing to lose by destroying another enemy, after all. But if you surrender now, I'll make sure you're all spared… at least, I will once that other Beacon Brat decides to stop trying to snoop around my lab! Whaddya say, Oz?!"

… However, after speaking, Watts was only greeted with silence…. "… Oz?" He repeated in confusion. Then, out of nowhere, the doctor glanced up to see Oscar's body jump over his head as Ozpin quickly landed right next to Weiss before voluntarily turning off his own aura, letting it fizzle out without a second thought! "Wait, what are you-!" Watts suddenly shouted in sheer confusion at the sight.

"You forgot the most basic rule in chess." Ozpin began as he stood wide-open with his cane planted firmly into the ground with both hands. "Every move you make leaves other points exposed. In other words, your attempt at putting Weiss in Check doesn't work as long as you're not allowed to take the Rook. Perhaps I have been playing a bit too safe… but here's my own Ultimatum, if you will…." The headmaster made Oscar glance up as he looked over his shoulder back at Watts with a notably glint of hardened resolve. "If you try to kill Weiss with these Grimm, you'll kill me, as well. Even I don't know what'll happen to the relic I have stored if I die in this state… so do you even want to take that chance?"

"- You!" Watts gasped at the situation as Weiss simply glared at the man in frustration as she tried her best to overpower their weapon clash.

This was a reckless move, but it was a necessary one. They had to take this risk. They had no choice but to put everything on the line, doing everything they possibly could to buy time until Ruby could finish up on her end of things! However, while Watts and the others were focused on the situation at hand, all of them had failed to notice the crazed, blonde, faunus who had crept out of the cabin's front door….

As long as Watts could keep a stalemate going, they could win… but, in the meantime, Nezumi was planning his move. And his appearance could easily shift the balance for either side depending on how he chose to act! The battle for Qrow was about to reach a decisive end-point!


	19. Confrontation (3): Flowers for Beasts

Part 19

-Confrontation (3): Flowers for Beasts

Cautiously, Lilly began walking around her opponent, trying to feel out an opportune moment to strike while Ruby Rose held her scythe close to her body, prepared to strike at a moment's notice. A mad smirk crossed the blonde woman's face at the situation as she finally stopped moving and held her hands out in a basic boxing-style stance. "You said you were here for someone, didn't you? Weren't you after Qrow or someone like that?" A slight chuckle escaped the brawler as she focused in on her target. "You won't be able to find it by guessing, but if you beat me then I might be willing to show you the way!"

"There's no reason why we have to fight." The Huntress breathed in response. "I saw how you looked back there… you know what kind of people these are! If you let them do what they want then they're only going to hurt more people!" Her eyes glared directly into the fighter, knowing that her plea for peace wouldn't work. It was clear that Lilly was determined to fight no matter what, that she was determined to keep this up no matter what. But, still, as long as there was a chance to end this early, just a chance to maybe save someone from ending up with people like this, they had to take it! "Just stop this while you still can! Before anything else bad happens!"

For a moment, Lilly stopped, her posture relaxing as if she was contemplating something. But then, suddenly, she glanced back up at the Huntress. "How dare you act like you know me, punk!" She shouted in a subdued rage. Damn Beacon girl! Acting like she knows what's best… it makes me sick! What has she been through?! Her school got attacked and she was forced to run away, but so what?! What could someone like that ever understand about having to fight for a living, having to head out every day just knowing that you're not good enough?! Even if she does get it, it doesn't even matter! When the chips were down, you Huntress punks were never anywhere to be seen!

Without warning, the blonde woman rushed forward, almost crying as she forced her whole body weight into her sudden assault! "Where were you people when that damn monster murdered Petro?!" Lilly's fist slammed into Ruby's scythe, forcing her back as she continued slamming her hands against it, each blow nailing the metal weapon harder and harder until the silver eyed woman was forced against one of the back bookshelves, only able to keep up her defenses as the attacks kept coming and coming!

"You damn Huntresses!" The brawler screamed. "You don't know anything! You just keep making promises- You keep trying to play the damn hero all the time! 'I'll save people!' 'I'll fight Grimm!' It's one thing after another! All you ever do is try to act like you're the saviors of the world, but you're not! You're just- You're scum, every last one of you! Where's the protection for people who can't pay up, huhh?! What are we supposed to do when some jerk- Some damn Huntsman- skips town and runs with the cash?! What then?! Hypocrites! All of you! You're all damn hypocrites! You keep saying you're all-great, but you're just as crap as everyone else! Always saying you'll save when you can't save yourself! Just trying to play the savior to make a quick buck! Tell me! Who was I supposed to turn to when a savior ditches his job?! And what! Am I! Meant to! Do! With! All! This! Freaking! Guilt! HUUHHH!?"

As the woman kept attacking, her right fist suddenly started to bleed, smashing against the Huntress's Crescent Rose one time too many in a sudden lapse of judgement as Lilly's emotional outburst eventually took over all of her focus. And then, as she went in for one more right punch, her opponent saw an opportunity.

Ruby's grip shifted as she finally managed to read one of her opponent's attacks. "… I'm sorry…." As the brawler's punch went wild, the Huntress swiftly ducked down, forcing herself forward with her legs as she slammed the shaft of her scythe into her opponent's stomach in a makeshift tackle that quickly pushed the fighter back, knocking the blonde woman off of her feet and onto the ground before Ruby immediately followed up with a sudden left hook right into the side of Lilly's face while she was off-guard! The woman's eyes practically bugging out of her head in shock as the brawler forced herself to stay conscious in the face of an aura-infused punch against her currently unprotected face!

In a split instant, Lilly suddenly curled up into a ball as she pushed off of Ruby with her leg, using the momentum to knock the Huntress off of her, sending Ruby flying across the room as both fighters quickly landed on their feet, ready to continue the fight.

A sharp breath left Ruby as she focused on Lilly, who quickly seemed to recover from the surprise blow with a seemingly enthusiastic smile. In an instant, it all seemed to click into place for the Huntress. So this was what Lilly wanted. While she didn't understand all the details, Ruby understood the situation completely. This wasn't just a way to deal with unresolved grief, this was a test on the part of all Huntsmen and Huntresses…. A chance to put them to the test. In order to save Qrow and Ren, they wouldn't be able to get by with words alone. Ruby would have to back her resolve up with her own skill and prove, beyond a doubt, that there were Huntresses out there both willing and able to save those in need! Before she could stop herself, the Scythe-user spun her weapon around into a combat-ready stance as she found herself shouting at her opponent!

"Come on, Lilly! I'll show you what I've got!"


	20. Confrontation (4): Tiger Style Wild Hunt

Part 20

-Confrontation (4): Tiger Style; Wild Hunt-

As Ruby twisted forward using her Semblance, she quickly swung her scythe in a wide arc as Lilly barely ducked out of the way before she was suddenly forced to dodge back again as another slash was just barely deflected by the brawler's left hand before, immediately, Ruby twisted her body back with the deflected attack to swing her quick series of slashes, the Huntress spinning her weapon around and quickly changing directions and angles while occasionally turning her own body into the next big slash as Lilly was forced to keep up! The blonde woman's body juked and weaved, deflecting what she could with an occasional parry as she struggled to keep up with her opponent's relentless assault as Ruby's stray attacks quickly began to catch up! Blood flashed from a glancing blow along Lilly's left cheek before another cut formed along the side of her right shin, almost sending the woman stumbling over as she was forced to suddenly push back on her off-foot to force herself backwards across the room to get away from Ruby's onslaught of cuts!

The brawler swiftly came to a stop as her feet slid across the floor, gasping for breath as Ruby simply spun her scythe around before holding it outstretched with two hands. "Well?" The huntress chimed with a friendly smile. "Had enough yet?"

"Damnit…" Lilly breathed as she tried to feel out her current situation. Her opponent really was something special…. If the brawler could get in close, then she'd definitely have the advantage, being able to probably overwhelm Ruby with her sheer speed. But, at the same time, Ruby was also incredibly fast, being able to use her Aura to negate the disadvantage of wielding such a large, heavy, weapon. On top of that, she had a good grasp on her own weapon. It was no exaggeration to say that had Ruby started out taking the fight seriously, she would have been able to avoid being pinned down and would have easily won the fight. However… things weren't nearly as simple as they seemed at first….

The blonde woman slowly raised her arms, holding her left palm forward as she widened her stance and pulled her right arm back so that her hand was near her face with her fingers curled back tightly. "I hate using this, but…." Lilly uttered as she began to focus on her opponent, her body flashing with white light for a moment before the glow quickly faded away. "This is my Semblance, Huntress! Tiger Style; Wild Hunt!"

As she practiced Martial Arts, there had always been one thing that bothered Lilly more than anything else, and that was the idea of a coward. Lilly always wanted to fight her targets directly to the end, no matter what that meant in the moment. However, early on, during random street brawls, Lilly quickly learned that when faced with the skills she had learned, it was not uncommon at all for her opponents to try to run away, even when the had her outnumbered. To Lilly, the fact that this option even existed was unacceptable and the fights she was unable to complete burned their way into her mind. Because of this, when she formed her Semblance, Lilly's mind formed something not geared for combat, but instead she created something to make sure people could never hide from her after starting a fight no matter how sneaky they were! First, Lilly lands a hit on her opponent, usually a punch of kick, but even minor contact would do. This allowed her Semblance to kick in and place a small amount of her Aura onto the target. And then, upon activating her Semblance again, after her aura had mixed into the target's, she would be able to read their exact location no matter where they tried to escape to.

Normally, a tracking ability like this would be incredibly basic, being a Semblance that could be easily replicated by more versatile abilities like Weiss's summons. But, being the impulsive and short-sighted person that she was, Lilly failed to think out her ability, accidentally resulting in something that could do the one thing she didn't want out of a Semblance… she accidentally made her Semblance in such a way that it could give her an edge in a fight! By shoving her Aura directly into someone else's, Lilly quickly realized that her Semblance gave her an extra layer of special awareness that allowed her to know exactly when another Martial Artist would strike by telling her where they chose to focus their Aura and by giving her precise measurements on where the attack was moving. And, while less useful, this concept also gave her an edge against Huntsmen, as well, since her Semblance allowed her to accurately feel exactly where and how her target was moving in any given situation!

"I hate using this…." The brawler repeated, holding her stance. "But what good is a fight that ends too early?!" To Lilly, her own words were an admission of self-defeat, but, in the moment, she couldn't care less about that! All that mattered was that she was able to keep enjoying her much-anticipated match! With a sudden gasp of air, the fighter began to run forward as Ruby leaned into another slash, but this time, Lilly simply pushed her body a little more forward as she quickly twisted around and reached both of her hands up, managing to grab Crescent Rose by the shaft to stop its momentum. And then, with an enraged snarl, the blonde woman shifted her footing as she quickly twisted her body, using her grip on her opponent's scythe to swiftly throw Ruby across the room, wrenching Crescent Rose out of her hands as she did so!

The Huntress smashed into the floor near the kitchen with a deafening thud before she glanced up at the situation in front of her in surprise as her opponent dropped her Crescent Rose to the ground before stomping on it with a smug leer in her eyes.

"You think you're hot stuff, brat?" The Martial Artist simply explained as she stared at her downed opponent. "Fine… then show me what you can do without this toy…. If you even can, that is!"


End file.
